Ari Ransom
by CaffeineTed
Summary: What if Buffy was not called as the Slayer? What if it was this other person in New York? How would some of the BtVS characters enter this Slayer's life? Read and review...CHAP 12 UP!
1. Chapter One: Calling

TITLE: Ari Ransom  
RATING: PG-13 I think I mite say the f word in here some, but just pretend you didn't see it...oh, and it might not stay this rating forever...  
SUMMARY: What if Buffy hadn't been called as the slayer? What if it was this other chick? How would some of the BtVS characters fit in to this new slayer's story? Read and review!  
AUTHORS NOTES:  
Much thanks to Caffeine Ted, my wonderful censor. Who might be needed, and who might not. We'll see where the story takes itself.  
WTF= What the f***. Only abbreviation in this story. Except for the word abbreviation. Ahahaha. No.  
This first part is sucky and boring, but bear with me. It gets cool once she starts killing things. *evil smile*  
  
CHAPTER ONE: CALLED  
  
I am the biggest loser I know.  
When I say loser, I mean, I consider myself a loser and a social disaster and I am proud. I have literally zero friends, both my parents are dead, I listen to alternative rock, punk and metal, wear combat boots and have been a foster child to almost fifty different families in my fifteen years of living. I go to Leviene High School in New York, or for now at least. It's a public school, and if I successfully make my foster family hate me enough, I will maybe move to another school district where they will shove me in some other school full of preps and jocks and poseurs. As you can tell, I'm not really a social butterfly. I actually didn't mean to insult the jocks, because I kind of am one. Long story. I play soccer. Obviously, not so long.  
Anyhow, I'm currently sitting here in the gym of my school, watching all these jock dudes play ultimate frisbee in here because it's rainy as hell outside and we aren't allowed to play in the rain. You might wonder why I'm not playing. Well, ultimate frisbee's my elective right now, and I should be playing now, but I'm not for three reasons:  
1) No ankle brace. (I injured myself a while back. Long story that I'll tell later)  
2) Combat boots make marks on the gym floor and I therefore am not allowed to run around in here.  
3) I don't wanna play.  
For these three reasons, I'm sitting around on the ground, leaning against the wall, watching them all play ultimate frisbee. Whoops, correction, not all are playing. Against one of the other walls Brittany, Greg, Mike, and Linda are sitting, not playing. Linda and Brittany because they only joined this elective to be with the guys and also because they can't run in flip-flops, and Mike and Greg because Linda and Brittany are sitting there, so naturally they must sit, too. You see, the social standard at my school is that you gotta have a boyfriend, and ya gotta have one now. Then, you must go everywhere with said boyfriend, and he must go everywhere with you. It's like the freaking fifties, where it's a couples society. It's not Mike and Linda. It's MikeandLinda. It's not Greg and Brittany. It's GregandBrittany. Are you going to invite Mike to the movies with you and your friends? Noo. You're going to invite MikeandLinda to the movies. I think you get the picture. Anyhow, the two couples were being all flirty and touchy-feely, and talking. I couldn't hear their conversation (not that I wanted to) because the screams of "Over here!" and "I'm open!" from the frisbee-ites were too loud. However, I know the type of people they are and I have talked to them a few times, so I can assume pretty accurately that they were discussing something as intelligent as American Idol or as fascinating as who made out with who at who's party last week. Damn. I hate going back to school. September's a bitch.  
"HEADS UP!"  
Wham.  
I looked up, and a bright orange frisbee comes flying at the wall and hits it right above where I'm sitting, drops on the ground next to me, and then a sweaty guy comes running over (I think his name was Jason) picks up the frisbee, and throws it to his friend.  
Hi.  
Bye.  
I grew tired of this, so I stood up, and walked right out the gym door without the teacher noticing. It was almost the end of the day anyway, and I was bored as hell. Actually, I don't think hell would be so boring. Kinda tiring. Annoying. Hard work, I'd expect. Man, do I have ADD or what? I walked down the hallway to the stairwell, up the stairwell to the second floor, the second floor to the hallway, the hallway to my locker, where I packed up my backpack. Why the administration gave a five-foot-eleven girl a bottom locker I have no clue. I shoved my CD player in there, along with my binder, some folders and notebooks, and a textbook. I zipped it up, slung it over my shoulder, and kicked my locker shut. I walked down the hall back to the stairwell, where I went down to the main floor, and straight out the door. I stopped at the steps, put on my headphones and pressed play on my CD player. All of a sudden, loud Shadows Fall was blasting in my ears, and I left the player in my backpack so that the cord was going from inside my backpack to my headphones. I went down the stairs and started walking down the busy Manhattan street.  
I love New York City. I'll never move. Not even if they assign me to some shitty foster family that lives somewhere else. Like New Jersey. Or LA. Which would be worse, New Jersey or LA? LA. Much too superficial for my taste. I'd rather die than live there. Or anywhere in California. Except maybe San Francisco.  
I had been walking only a little way when someone tapped me on the shoulder. I pulled off my headphones, expecting it to be some lost tourist looking for a landmark or something. I turned and looked. It was some old guy. Gray hair, not too much of it, but what was there was combed neatly. He wore a tweed suit - (tweed? WTF is this, the 19th century?!) And he was kinda pudgy, but in an old grandpa sorta way. He looked kind of... british. Posture straight, and you could tell he read a lotta books and stuff.  
"What?" I asked the guy.  
"Excuse me," he said with a british accent - I knew it! Next thing he'll be asking me 'where might I find the Empire State Building?' 'It's on the other side of town, dude' I'd reply. He didn't though. It kind of scared me, what happened next.  
"Are you Avarielle Ransom?"  
I stared at him in shock.  
"It's on the other side of- oh, wait, yeah. Yeah, that's me. Wait, why?" Way to go me. Smooth reply.  
"My name is Quentin Travers."  
"Good for you." That's more like me!  
"I need to talk with you."  
"What'd I do now? Is it about the wall in the drama room, because, yeah, I kicked the hole in it-"  
"No, I am here to inform you of your destiny."  
"What's this, you the ghost of Christmas future or something? Because you're kinda late..."  
"I'm sorry, Ms. Ransom, but I must inform you that you have been called as the slayer."  
"What now?"  
"You must come with me immediately. Your destiny awaits."  
"Sorry dude, if this is some freaky attempt to kidnap me you can save it, all right? I can hit pretty hard."  
"That's not it at all, Ms. Ransom-"  
"Quit it with the Ms. Ransom crap, dude."  
"All right, Avarielle-"  
"Ari."  
"Ari, you must come with me. Your sacred duty awaits."  
I don't know what made me do what I did next.  
I went with the tweed-suit-my-name-is-Quentin-Travers-Brit.  
  
~*~  
  
"Wait, what now?" I asked him.  
We were in this boardroom, in some building, and he just told me the strangest thing. There were some other people in there, all Brits, all very prim and proper. I got to sit at the end of the table in this big leather swirly CEO chair. It was cool, because I've never gotten to sit in one of those. They're really comfy. Back to the point.  
"I know it must seem hard to believe, Avarielle, but it's all true. Vampires, demons, they're all real. And you are the one girl in all the world who is meant to fight them."  
"Wow. What's in it for me?" Leave it to Ari to blurt it all out.  
"Well, you gain accelerated healing-"  
"You told me about all that crap. Why me?"  
"It's your destiny."  
"Well, why wasn't I informed of it earlier?"  
"A new slayer does not officially get called until the previous slayer dies."  
"So I'm gonna die from this and be replaced?"  
He looked away then, stood up from his end of the table, and went to the window. He was in sort of a state of shock that I'd asked it, I think.  
"Um, it doesn't really bother me, I just wanna get the record straight."  
"It is true, you will face battles, life threatening situations, and you will not be able to tell a word of it to anyone you are close to. It can be difficult, it will be difficult, but-"  
"That's not a problem either. I'm not close to anyone. I mean, I'm kind of a loner. My parents are dead, and they have been for a long time. So I'm in foster care and junk, and the people at my schools have all despised me beyond belief or just don't know I'm there, so who'm I gonna tell?"  
"Well, that takes care of the secret identity, then. You will have a watcher, and he will arrive in good time. We have already told you what you are to do, how to kill demons and vampires, and informed you of your duty, so we are done for now." I stood up.  
"Wait, that's it?"  
"Yes, for now."  
"You haven't told me jack! And you haven't even given me the opportunity to ask a few questions!"  
"Please, ask whatever questions you may have."  
Then everybody looked at me. I said the first one that came to my mind.  
"Is magic real, too?" WTF was I, two?  
"Yes, Avarielle, magic is indeed real. Your watcher will on occasion, use some, if it is necessary, but we do not encourage the use of it."  
"Will I get to try it?" I was psyched. Screw that two year old crap idea. Magic existed! You could like, levitate and stuff with it. It seemed so awesome, and I really wanted to try it out.  
"I do not think so."  
"Why not?"  
"Magic can be a very addictive, powerful force that you can lose control of easily. It is for your own safety that we discourage the use of magic."  
"Oh. Well, who helps me then? If I have anybody, I mean. Or am I all alone?"  
"You will have your watcher-"  
"I know all that. But am I the only whatchamacallit, slayer?"  
"Yes, you are the only one. There are potential slayers all over the world, but it chose you."  
"Why?"  
"That, I do not know the answer to."  
"Hey, what if I move?"  
"Pardon me?"  
"What if social services moves me to another foster family somewhere else, like, Cleveland or somewhere where they might not have demons?"  
"Cleveland is actually on a hellmouth, but, I do not think it will occur, so we will deal with it if it comes the time."  
"That it?"  
"If you have no more questions..."  
"Oh, I do. Um, weapons? What's the deal with those? I mean, do I get them from you, or do I have to make 'em, or buy 'em, or what?"  
"Your watcher will supply you with sufficient weapons along with your training."  
"Okay. Um, when do I start?"  
"After you meet your watcher and commence training, he will send you on assignments, which you will complete. For tonight, go home, get a good rest, and your watcher will find you tomorrow. Best of luck to you, Avarielle."  
"You too. Don't die." Don't die? Why'd I say that? Now he's sure to die.  
I left the building all pumped up, feeling my super strength radiating through my muscles, and my ankle! My ankle felt perfect and fine and better! I don't need a brace anymore! I was free and I was trapped. Now I had an inescapable destiny that I was sure to get killed from, and all I got out of it is some weapons, strength, and a healed joint. But who cares? Tomorrow I would start my training, meet this watcher dude, and kick some ass. What could possibly go wrong? 


	2. Chapter Two: Angel on My Shoulder

CHAPTER TWO: ANGEL ON MY SHOULDER  
  
I was walking home that night, after going to the gym and showing off my super strength a little with the weights and whatnot, and it was dark (as dark as it can get in the city that never sleeps) and I was walking down a street that wasn't very crowded car or people wise. I was prepared with a stake in my back pocket, cross round my neck and a dagger in my sports jacket, just in case. I walked down the street fairly quickly, looking around, trying to be aware, again, just in case. Well, guess I wasn't aware enough. I passed by this alley, and I didn't even notice a stealthy guy walk right outta it and right behind me. I have a pretty good sense of hearing, so I heard the soft thud of his first footstep. I swiveled to face him as I pulled out my stake, held it at the ready, and saw him jump a little.  
"Whoa, there." The guy said. He wasn't a mugger, I could tell that straight off. I've almost been mugged like seven times, but I ended up causing the mugger serious pain with my mugger routine: rock, palm, rock, knee, rock, knee, eye, eye, sucker punch. I even made one cry once. But back to the point. He was tall, taller than me, even, lean, and had these really intense brown eyes. The best way to know a person is by their eyes. They tell all. His didn't speak to me, though. I don't know why. That made them sort of...special. He had brown hair, kind of spiked up, but not in a punk-ish way at all. It's hard to describe. He was sort of pale, and wore a black leather jacket and a black shirt underneath. Maybe all the black made him seem paler, or maybe the street lamps of my city made him look washed out. He was nervous, but didn't seem surprised at me pulling out a stake, which was odd. He was looking at me kind of funny, surprised, almost, and intrigued. I knew I wasn't smiling. I knew I was wearing almost all black, with black mascara and dark eye shadow and my blue Sublime shirt. I looked at him back, never once smiling. I don't know what passed over his face. I got sick of this, it was weird, so I said,  
"Do I know you?" In my crudest way possible, because I knew I didn't, and he knew he didn't, so I knew that his answer would be  
"No. But I know who you are." I didn't expect the last part actually. Not straight off.  
"And who am I, Dr. Freud?"  
"If you're who I think you are, you're Avarielle Ransom. The slayer."  
Suddenly, I had an idea of who I was. If he was who I thought he was, it would all make sense. The un-shock of me pulling out a stake, the name, the sense of familiarity.  
"I'm here to help you. You're the slayer, right?" He continued.  
"And you must be the watcher. To tell ya the truth, I'd have expected someone a lot older. More like that Travers dude who told me about my quote sacred duty unquote." I replied cooly.  
"I'm not your watcher." He said. I was confused. If he wasn't my watcher, and I didn't know him, then who the hell was he? A thought crossed my mind, but I wasn't sure if it was real. Mr. Travers said that some vampires might know who I am, and might come after me...could he be one of those vamps? I decided to find out. I desperately wanted to sucker punch him right in the face, but if he was a human, then that'd turn out ugly.  
"So who the hell are you then? How do you know me?"  
"You're the slayer. I'm Angel, I was sent here to help you."  
"Heard that part. Except for the- wait, your name is Angel?"  
He started to get incredibly nervous after that.  
"Uh, yes. It's not what you-"  
"Hey, I guess I shouldn't be talking. I mean, how many girls do you know whose names are Avarielle?"  
"Just you," He wasn't nervous anymore. What was he trying to hide?  
"Okay, you didn't really answer my question from before. Why are you here? If you're not my watcher, then what are you doing talking to me? Cuz Travers said it's a one-person job."  
"It's a long story, but I'm here to help you out. Warn you from danger..."  
He was so serious, and I just couldn't help it. Maybe it was the sudden burst of energy from my newly-instated slayer strength, or the mocha I had earlier, but I couldn't help it. I burst out laughing. I have no idea why. It was all so much in one day, that I laughed. You don't understand, though. I NEVER HAVE LAUGHED IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. No joke. I mean, I've smiled good-naturedly at my favorite funny movies like Billy Madison and junk, but I've never laughed outright. Nothing just seemed laugh worthy. Until now. I don't get why I did it. Then I looked at him, and I saw his face. I don't remember what made me do it, but I did what I had inclined to do earlier. I punched him right in the nose. It sounded like I broke it. Whoops. He was holding his face, and then all of a sudden, he looked back up, in full vamp face. I knew it. I so knew it. What should I do? Duh! Fight him! Beat him down! I kicked him in the chest, and he fell over and landed on the ground. He started to say something along the lines of "wait" but I didn't pay attention. I was about to stake him when he grabbed my arm and held it so that I couldn't get the stake through his heart.  
"It's not what you think. I'm not evil." He said.  
"Yeah huh, sure. You're just a vampire who's not evil, I get it," I said sarcastically.  
"Actually, yes. I have a soul, let me go. I need to explain some-" I didn't give him a chance to finish. I twisted my left arm out of his grasp, and then my right, which was holding my stake. I stood, and he jumped up. I threw another punch at him, which he ducked, but then I kicked him in the balls, which he didn't expect. I mean, hello, New York City girl who's been brought up with badass self defense techniques against muggers! Ya didn't expect that? He fell back onto the ground.  
"Yeah, explain what exactly? I'll give you ten seconds and then I'll stake you," I replied rather fiercely. I was getting the hang of this slayer thing.  
"Okay, I'm a vampire with a soul who is not evil and hasn't hurt anybody since the day he got his soul from a bunch of gypsies and I moved to America and I was supposed to help the other slayer but then they switched to you at last minute and I'm supposed to help you out." He said all of that fast, within ten seconds, no question. I let go of him, and let him stand, but I didn't put away my stake.  
"And how did you get a soul in the first place?"  
He said nothing. Must've killed somebody.  
"A vamp's a vamp. A slayer's a slayer. You're a vamp, I'm a slayer, I stake, sucks for you."  
"Wait. I'm not going to kill anyone, or turn on you. I promise."  
"I don't work well with people," I said back. It's true. I don't.  
"I'm not a person, so I think that can be gotten over. What do you say?"  
"I say no way." I started to leave, but he stopped me.  
"No, wait-"  
"All right. You say you're not evil, prove it." What the hell made me say that?  
"How?" He'd obviously never done this kinda thing before.  
"I don't know. Just- don't bother me, okay? I want to be alone. I want to work alone, which means I don't give a shit about you, so leave me be." I walked away, but he followed, grabbed my hand and sort of spun me back. "What?" I asked him. "Isn't not staking you enough?"  
"I can't believe you refuse help! I'm not asking for anything more than to just fight a few fights with you. Please, I need this. I need to- I need to become a better person," He said all of this so honestly, so truly. I hated it.  
"Like you said before, you're not a person. I hate people, I hate vampires, I hate everything and everyone. Including myself. Now leave me alone."  
"I'm not giving up this easy."  
"I'll kill you before I let you help me." I meant it too, I really did. I walked away then, and he didn't stop me. I think he knew that I meant it. He did call after me, though.  
"You need help!" He called.  
"I don't need your help! I have super strength!" I called back.  
"Not just mine, but you need therapy or something. Anyone ever told you that?"  
"Every day of my life someone does. It's getting old. Now fuck off!" I yelled back, now getting farther away. He just stood there, doing nothing, knowing that he'd failed. I don't know why I let his appearance fool me the first time. Ugh, can you say superficial? 


	3. Chapter Three: Up on the Roof

CHAPTER THREE: UP ON THE ROOF  
  
I let myself into my foster family's apartment with my keys. It wasn't too late, only about eleven. But I knew that they'd freak, my foster parents "You can call me Mary" and "You can call me Jeff", I mean. Their little girl, Alexia, would be all "Ooh, you're in trouble!" Like she was my fucking little sister or something, just because I live there. Well, surprise for the Thomas's, because I'm not their daughter, and they're not my parents. I don't have to listen to a fucking word they say.  
"I don't have to listen to a fucking word you say!" I yelled at YoucancallmeMary and YoucancallmeJeff. They had freaked, like I had suspected.  
"Avarielle! Alexia is asleep." YoucancallmeMary said.  
"I don't give a fuck about your daughter!" I yelled even louder. Man, was I pissed. I don't know why, I mean, all they did was say they'd ground me. It was only eleven! And if I was grounded, I wouldn't be able to go out and kill stuff! Stop the spread of evil! I had to, it was my sacred duty.  
"Avarielle, please, keep the cussing to a minimum," YoucancallmeJeff told me gently.  
"I'll keep the cursing however the hell I want it! You people aren't my parents! You're not my family! They're dead! I don't give a shit about you, your daughter, or how you people think of me! I have my own life, and you're not gonna keep me from it. And besides, it was only eleven!"  
"Your curfew is ten thirty," YoucancallmeMary said.  
"You're not my mother, you don't have the right to say when my curfew is. Besides, curfews are against my religious principles." A lame excuse I use for everything. It works with them, though.  
"Avarielle, go to your room." YoucancallmeJeff said firmly.  
"Gladly!" I said, and walked into my bedroom. Well, for tonight anyway. They'd probably call the agency tonight and say that they couldn't handle me. Whatever. I'd take their stereo.  
I pulled off my jacket and threw it on the armchair. I pulled the stake out of my back pocket, put it in my dresser drawer, and I took off the cross. I was ready to sleep. I'd had a long day, with the laughing and whatnot. I sat on the bed and took off my combat boots, throwing them over by the chair, too. I pulled out some pajama pants and a tank top, and changed into my pajamas. Then I brushed my hair, put it back up in a low ponytail, and went into the bathroom to brush my teeth.  
When I walked in there, I felt like someone was watching me. It was odd. I went over to the window and looked out. Nothing but the city. And especially nothing was out there because the fire escape was outside my window, not the bathroom window, and I was on the eighth floor. What was I thinking? I went back to the counter, brushed my teeth, and washed my face. When I was done, I looked at my reflection in the mirror. I just stared at myself. The red streaked brown hair. The slightly tan, freckled face. Big brown eyes, long eyelashes, full pink lips. My thin, straight eyebrows. Zit free, normal face. I don't know what changed about me. I suddenly felt like I wasn't just the shell of Avarielle. I was the fullest me I could be. And I liked it. I'd never hit anyone so hard. I'd never yelled at my foster parents like that. I'd never laughed, never said so many words at the same time. It was almost as though this was why I was created. Why I was me. And it was scary, yeah, but I liked it. I smiled, showing my perfectly straight, white teeth. I never smile. Add that to the list of change. This smile wasn't a yearbook-picture-smile, though. It was a sort of secret smile. A smile that knew things others didn't, a smile that was scary, strong, and a really cool smile. I liked it. I don't know why I'd never tried to smile like that before. Maybe that's because you can't smile like that if you try. Only if you don't mean to can you make that smile. I stopped smiling, and went back to my room.  
I felt like blasting Stonesour all throughout the apartment from my stereo, just to piss off YoucancallmeMary and YoucancallmeJeff and Alexa. I was too tired, though. Too annoyed to annoy, if you know what I mean. So, I turned off the main light, leaving on my lamp by my bedside. I sat down on the bed, took my book off the night stand, and started to read. After a few minutes, though, I felt like someone was watching me again. This time, I knew it was possible, though. My window was open, and that was where the fire escape was. Someone could be looking through there. Hmm. Does being the slayer come with paranoia? I closed my book, leaving it on the bed, and went over to my window. I looked out. Nothing there. I wanted to be sure that nobody was on the fire escape, though, so I climbed out, still in my pajamas and all. I looked around out there, and heard a noise. I looked up, at the floor above me's fire escape, and there was somebody up there. I went back into my room, and put on my Adidas and a sweatshirt, and went back out onto the fire escape. I looked back up, and saw that the person, whoever it was, was going up. I ran up the ladder to the next floor, then the next, then the next, then the next, until I got up to the roof. I saw a dark shadowy figure there. How Scream is that? And I called out to them.  
"Turn around, coward. Too afraid to fight?" Yup, I was definitely different. The person turned, and I saw it was that Angel guy from earlier. Man, was I pissed!  
"You again! I thought I told you to leave me alone!"  
"I didn't mean to bother you, I just was watching you-"  
The pervert!  
"All right, that's it. I'm staking you good and-" I reached for my stake in my back pocket, but I had no back pocket. I was still in my pajamas, unarmed. Shit!  
"Shit!" I said to myself.  
"Something wrong?" He asked me. If it had been someone else, I would have said that it was snide, but it wasn't. He seemed worried, actually.  
"No. Go away." I started to walk back towards the ladder.  
"I'm not going to do that." I spun around, frustrated.  
"I don't get you! First you step out of the shadows and say you're a vamp with a soul here to help me, and then you go all perverted stalker? If you want to piss someone off who deserves it, I can give you the names of some girls who would actually get scared-"  
"That's not why I was here," he said.  
"Then why were you here?" I was getting really worked up.  
"I don't know, to tell you the truth." He just stood there, then, looking down a little. He was actually kind of- wait, no. Stop. Vampire. Creepy stalker vampire. And his eyes...wait! No! Bad Ari! Stop. Slow down. Deep breaths.  
"Then leave me alone." I went back to the fire escape and went down all those ladders down to mine. I climbed back through the window, and shut it behind me. I locked it. I kicked off my Adidas and put my sweatshirt back in my drawer. I took a cross out of my desk, and put it in front of my window. Just in case that rule that said vampires can't come in unless they're invited was bullshit.  
  
AN: Short and bad, but trust me. It gets better when she kills stuff. Then again, doesn't everything? 3 Musketeers bars for all who review! 


	4. Chapter Four: Is Watching You

CHAPTER FOUR: IS WATCHING YOU  
  
The next day, I was skateboarding home from school, avoiding people on this one street because they were all trying to get where they were going also. The street I was on, I don't remember exactly which, it had a lot of shops and restaurants on it, with stuff like Duane Read and little boutiques or diners. All bright, cheery -ish, or very business like.  
This one store, though, caught my attention. It was a bookstore, and it was very darkened, but open. It had all these old looking books in the windows and, from what I could see, on the shelves. The sign painted on the window and the awning said "The Bookstore of the Supernatural" Huh. Supernatural crap was what I was starting to get into. I also needed some reading material, and the store was open, so I went inside, kicking my board up into my hands.  
The second I walked into this store, the aroma of incense and old books filled my nose. It was a kind of nice smell. From what I could see, I was the only person in here. There were long, floor-to-cieling shelves filled with all these old books, some of which had little yellow dots on them. The ones with dots had prices on them, and the ones that didn't... what were those for if not for sale? I saw a huge, black book on the tallest shelf that even I couldn't reach. There was no yellow dot. I saw one of those sliding stepladders, and I slid it down to where the book was, and climbed up to get it. The book was heavy, but my new strength took care of it. I climbed down the ladder, and went and sat at this little round table towards the back of the room with a little lamp on it. I turned on the lamp, and put the book down. It was thick, black and very old, and the cover read, in bold, gold (hey that rhymes!) letters: VAMPIRE. Wow. My instincts were pretty damn good. Maybe there was something in here about how to stop a vampire from stalking you. I undid these two little locks that the book had, and opened the thick cover, which slammed down into the table, making a loud thump. I looked around, but nobody came, so I figured I was okay. I flipped to the very back, in search for an index. There wasn't one. So I flipped to the front, looking for a table of contents. There wasn't one either. Great. I stood up, leaving the book on the table, my board against the chair, and my book bag on the table too, in search of help. I called out to the whole goddamn empty store:  
"Hello? Anybody here? I need some assistance!" Nothing. "Yo! Customer here! About to steal this book unless you get your ass over here and help me out!" This back door opened. I hadn't seen it before, and it made me jump. Out of the door came a tall, sort of old man, in a suit, glasses, messy gray hair, looking around. When he saw me, he took off his glasses, polished them on a white handkerchief that was from his pocket, and put them back on, blinking.  
"You okay, man? Look, I'm looking for a spell or a trick or something that'll prevent a certain vampire from going all creepy stalker on you. Do you know where I can find that?"  
"You're Avarielle Ransom."  
"I wasn't aware that I had on a 'hello my name is' tag."  
"I was told that you would come here. My name is Mr. Dexter." Watcher?  
"Watcher?"  
"Yes. I see you've already met up with Mr. Travers, and you understand your destiny."  
"Yeah, yeah. Now can you help me get this one vamp off my case? I don't feel like I can stake him cuz he's gotta soul and shit."  
"First you must clean up your language."  
"Who died and made you dictator?"  
"And you must spit out that gum."  
"What? No gum? What the fuck is wrong with you?"  
"Language, gum, training, reading. Those are what you need to worry about at the moment. And did you say that... this vampire you ran into... he had a soul?"  
"Yeah. That's what he said anyway."  
"Extroardinary..." And off he went, to the shelves.  
  
"Okay, you do that, I'll leave."  
"No. As your watcher, I am supposed to train you. Now, go in the back room, and I have set up a training space."  
"Fine Dex, whatever you say."  
"It's Dexter, not Dex."  
"Whatever." I went into the back room. It was a pretty nice training space, with a punching bag, targets, weapons, the whole deal. It was pretty cool. I picked up a stake off a table, and pocketed it. I also put in my pocket a dagger that was really cool, slick and pretty. Dex came in just as I hid the knife. He put his jacket on the back of a chair at a desk, with an open book on it.  
"All right. Let's start, shall we?" ~*~  
  
Dex told me to patrol that night in a graveyard on the side of the island. I obliged, but only because I wanted to kick some ass after training. Adrenaline is a slayer's best friend, I guess. So, I was patrolling, and I fought and staked a few vampires, no fuss, no muss. I had a lot of fun, too. I got one just as he was crawling outta his grave. Dex told me that vampires and demons tend to flock towards big cities and hellmouths, and that's where I was most likely to find the most ass to kick. I told him there was no way I was leaving this city, and he said that it wasn't necessary for a slayer to live on a hellmouth, however convenient. He also told me that on occasion I might need to go to other places to stop the spread of evil, if it ever got out of hand. So, I walked home at about three AM, knowing that the Thomases would probably have had a hemorrhage by now, even though I wanted to stay later. I also had to go to school. I whined that it wasn't necessary for me to go, but Dex said that since my grades were good (where the fuck did he get my grades?!) I shouldn't drop out. So I won't.  
I climbed up my fire escape, through my window, and just changed into my pajama pants and a tank top and went to sleep. I was too tired to make my presence known. Sometimes, you don't feel tired until you actually see your warm, comfy bed, and you get tired.  
  
Next morning, I came into the kitchen like nothing had happened. The foster fam wasn't acting that way, though.  
"Where were you last night? You missed dinner." YoucancallmeMary said, arms folded.  
"Out. Went to a bookstore, went to the gym. No big."  
"You should have called!" YoucancallmeJeff said.  
"You're in biiiiiig trouble!" Alexa said.  
"Go fuck yourself." I took a bagel off the kitchen table, picked up my board, and said, "I'm going to school." And I left them there, to deal by themselves.  
  
~*~  
  
I trained with Dex again that afternoon, and he watched me today, making notes in this book that he had.  
"What the hell is that?" I asked him, kicking the punching bag.  
"It is a watchers diary. I must keep one for the future watchers to observe and make note on."  
"So, it's like the story of me?" Double punch.  
"Somewhat, yes."  
"Can I put on some music? It's so much better working out to music."  
"I don't have anything to play it on."  
"Fuck. I have Nirvana in my portable, too." Kick. Kick.  
"Clean up your language, for God's sake, Avarielle," Dex was getting annoyed.  
"Ari." Kick. The punching bag flew off its hook and landed a few feet away.  
"Ari. Be more careful with the equipment."  
"Yeah, yeah."  
"Don't 'yeah yeah' me. I am your watcher, and you will treat me with respect."  
"Sure, whatever Dex." I picked up the punching bag and hung it up on the hinges. I took off my hand wraps and sat on the desk he was writing at. I picked up the book and started reading his notes.  
"Give that back." He snatched it out of my hands.  
"Meow. So, did you find anything on this soul vamp?"  
"I haven't looked yet, but I can..."  
"So, it's legal, right? Me killing something with a soul?"  
"Of course it's legal." He stood up, and picked a book up off the other side of the desk, flipping through it. "The vampire you described... what was his name?"  
"Um, he said his name was Angel or something."  
"Angelus?"  
"No, Angel. Yeah, I'm pretty sure it was Angel."  
"Hmm. I've heard of a vampire called Angelus... but not Angel."  
"Well, maybe it's the same guy. What about this Angelus, anyway?"  
"He, uh, he was sired in the late eighteenth century..."  
"So? What difference does it make how old he is?"  
"A lot of difference. Now listen and be quiet."  
"Yes, sir." I said, saluting him. He scoffed and continued.  
"Angelus has a tattoo on his shoulder, right?"  
"How would I know? I haven't seen him with his shirt off!" My mind spontaneously started to picture him with his shirt off... it was a nice visual. Dammit, focus, Ari! Kick.  
"Sorry. Anyway, this, Angelus, was a pretty vigorous... well, he liked making his kills artsy."  
"Artsy? So was he an artist when he was a human or something?"  
"No, son of a wealthy Irish merchant... good education, but he was somewhat of a disappointment... no job, drunk a lot of the time..."  
"So, if Angel is Angelus, he's a big, badass, drunken loser who likes to make his kills have a big finish. So what happened to him?"  
"He, eh, about a hundred years after wreaking havoc upon Europe, he moved to the United States and... wasn't heard from up until now. No records of killings, anything."  
"That's weird."  
"Yes, it is." Dex put the book down, and sat back down in the chair.  
"So should I track him down and kill him? Or bring him in to you for examination? Because just beating him to a bloody pulp would satisfy me..."  
"I don't think you should go after him."  
"Why not?"  
"Because, if he is still evil, and he is Angelus, he is a very dangerous vampire."  
"So? I'm the slayer, I'll kick his ass."  
"Just because you're the slayer doesn't mean you're invincible."  
"I know that. Just let me kill this guy."  
"Act only in self defense-"  
"Grasshopper." I finished. I looked at the clock. "Gotta run. If I'm not home for dinner tonight I think the Thomases will disown me. Not that that would be a bad thing."  
"What about tonight's patrol?"  
"I'll have dinner, say I'm tired and I'm gonna crash early, go in my room, climb out my fire escape, roam the streets a little, and kick ass until I get too tired and then go back home. They'll never even know I was gone."  
  
~*~  
  
The next week was stalker free, training full, routine blah blah slayerness. Nothing happened. I mean, I had a few tests, did well on them, and kept killing vampires. Not a big deal. Until, one night, I ran into my old friend Angel.  
I had been fighting these two vampires in this alley, and they were pretty tough, but luckily I'm good at being the underdog. I slashed both their heads off with this sweet short sword that Dex gave me. It kind of looks like one of Elektra's swords, you know, from that Daredevil comic? Anyway, I decapitated them within ten minutes, and then I heard someone clap when I was done. Out of the shadows steps Angel.  
"I know about you." I told him.  
"I'm not surprised. You seem like the sort of a person who'd get more information on unfinished business."  
"You don't know shit about me." He smiled.  
"So, it looks like you've got most of your slayer stuff under control."  
"And it looks like you quit the stalker biz for a little while."  
"I'm not trying to stalk you."  
"Right. You're trying to kill me."  
"I'm not trying to kill, maim, torture or make you crazy."  
"And why's that? Oh, right, you've got a soul. Like I'm supposed to believe that. And just how did you survive without killing anyone? Answer me that? Just because you're 'immortal' doesn't mean you can't survive without food. What'd you do, drink your own blood?"  
"You can buy blood."  
"What, you mean like drugs? Wow, didn't know about that. Thanks for filling me in. Can't wait to tell Dex that there are vamp blood dealers. What else ya got? Vampire bookies? Blackjack dealers? DJ's?" He laughed. "What's so funny? I'm not trying to be funny. You think I'm funny? Huh?"  
"A little."  
"Right. Look, sorry, I actually need sleep, so I'm gonna go. And if you follow me, or if I see you again-"  
"I'm dust." He finished.  
"Yeah. Dust."  
"Why don't you just dust me now? I mean, my whole purpose here is kind of being squashed by you, so why don't you just do it now?"  
"Your purpose? Don't you mean killing and crap?"  
"I'm supposed to-"  
"Help me, blah blah. Don't need help, sorry. Maybe the original slayer did, but she turned down her calling, okay? So why don't you turn down yours?"  
"You have a pretty bad attitude."  
"No, really."  
"You can't do everything alone."  
"That's why I have my watcher, right?"  
"The slayers who fought alone died alone, and faster."  
"And lemme guess, you killed one?"  
"I've never killed a slayer. But I know others who have."  
"Well I'll send them a christmas card."  
"Why do you refuse to let people help you?"  
"You're not a person!" I shouted.  
"I'm part human!"  
"So? Humans kill other humans all the time!"  
"It's not the same!"  
"You're right. It's not. Okay? You win. And your grand prize is... a get out of dust free card, and- stop looking at me like that!" He was looking at me funny.  
"You know how great you could be? With the right allies you could be unstoppable."  
"And those allies wouldn't be you, would they?"  
"Ari-"  
"Don't call me that!"  
"It's your name, isn't it?"  
"Yes, but... leave me alone!"  
"Come on! All I want to do is help you."  
"Well, you aren't going to get what you want."  
  
~*~  
  
Told Dex about my run-in with soul boy.  
"He says he wants to assist you? That is peculiar."  
"No shit."  
"Language."  
"Sorry. What do you think I should do?"  
"I need to do some further research on this so-called soul of his, in order to see if he's telling you the truth. Until I know for sure, I should say stay away from him."  
"But I can kick his ass. Why should I avoid him?"  
"Well, if what he's saying is true, then I should think that a vampire with a soul would be a remarkable ally."  
"Really?" I was surprised by this. "But, all demons are-"  
"Not all demons are evil, Ari."  
"Huh. So, tonight's patrol, park, graveyard, streets, where?"  
"Nowhere. Take the night off."  
"Is that allowed?"  
"I am your watcher. You haven't been getting much sleep lately, my advice is to lay low for a night, avoiding Angel."  
"He knows where I live."  
"He cannot enter a home which he has not been invited into."  
"So that lil rumor ain't false?"  
"No, it is not. And could you please clean up your language?"  
"It's slang."  
"My point exactly. I will see you tomorrow."  
"It's Saturday. When should I get here?"  
"Whenever you like. Just be careful."  
"Yeah. Later, Dex."  
"Dexter!"  
"Yeah, yeah."  
"Enough with the 'yeah yeahs'!"  
"You're not my father." I put on my jacket, grabbed my board, and left the training room. I think he might've muttered, 'thank God' or something, but I couldn't hear well. As I was leaving, I saw someone waiting by the register with a book in their hands.  
"Excuse me, do you work here?" The woman asked.  
"Uh, kinda."  
"Could you ring this up for me?"  
"Sure." I went behind the counter, and she handed me her two books. One had no yellow dot. "Ah, this one isn't for sale."  
"But, it's in a-"  
"I know. No yellow dot, no book for you. Sorry." It was Dex's quirky system. I put the book behind the counter, rang up her other book, and let her leave. I hopped over the counter, and left the store. 


	5. Chapter Five: Ouch

CHAPTER FIVE: OUCH  
  
"A gypsy curse... this is it!" Dex exclaimed, after hours of sifting through books with me in the front room. I was bored, and as he explained the dull details I stared off into space. The sun had set already.  
"Kay, he's gotta soul. That means I can go, right?"  
"Right. Still, be careful... we don't know much yet. And if you run into Angel-"  
"Bring him here, blah blah. Gotcha."  
  
~*~  
  
Wham. Ouch. A demon, a strong one, slammed me into a tree. My back stung with pain. I struggled against its grip, but I couldn't get its strong hands off my neck. I gasped for air. Shit! I couldn't use my hands, but I could use my legs. I pushed them against the tree, and flipped over the demon, causing his grip to loosen and snap his wrists that were still on my neck. He let go out of pain, and while he took in what had just occurred, I kicked him in the stomach. I pulled a knife out of my jacket, which the demon kicked out of my hands, into his own. He lunged at me with it, intended to sink into my heart, but instead, I dodged and he got my shoulder, which started to bleed and sting with pain. I fell to the ground, holding my injury. The demon stood over me, triumphant. This is it I thought. It wasn't. The demon fell over next to me, after I heard a loud cracking noise. Someone grabbed my arm and pulled me up. I winced in pain. It was the arm that was stabbed.  
"Are you hurt?" It was Angel. Great. Now I owe him one.  
"No, I have a stab wound but I'm just fine."  
"Still holding onto your sarcasm, I see."  
"Thanks for that."  
"Thought you didn't need help."  
"Dex advises otherwise."  
"Is that your watcher?"  
"No, he's my orthodontist."  
"We should get that fixed."  
"I heal fast. Not a big deal."  
"Yes, it is. Come on."  
"You're supposed to... I mean, I'm supposed to take you to him."  
"Who? Your watcher?" I was starting to feel a little tired, weak and dizzy. I stumbled, and Angel grabbed me, putting my arm (the uninjured one) around his shoulder. "Lean on me, come on. I'll take you home."  
"Are you joking? The foster rents would die of heart attacks if they saw this. Take me to Dex's bookstore."  
"Where is it?"  
"Uh...near my school."  
"Which is?"  
"You're helpless."  
"I'm not the one with the injury."  
"Good point. I'll show you how to get there."  
  
~*~  
  
"This is... extraordinary!" Dex exclaimed. I was sitting in a chair in the back room, holding a cloth on my wound, and Dex and Angel were talking more about how Angel got the curse.  
"Not the word I would use to describe it."  
"Fascinating, work a little better?" I looked down at my shoulder. The cloth was red from my blood.  
"Dex? I think we should cover this up a little better."  
"Good Lord, Avarielle." He went over to me, taking the cloth, getting some gauze out of the first aid kit.  
"Ari."  
"Whatever."  
"Ha! Slang! You used slang!"  
"I did not."  
"Did too."  
"As the word whatever is in the dictionary, it should not be counted as slang."  
"So? Fuck's in the dictionary, and you call it slang."  
"That's a cuss word." Angel interjected.  
"Yeah, but Dex says it's slang. He says everything I say is slang."  
"That's because it is, now sit still. Take off your jacket."  
"Just gimme the gauze. I'll do it myself." I took the gauze from him and went into the other room. I took off my jacket, now with a hole in the shoulder, and bloody, and then ripped my sleeve a little better so I could get the wound. I put the gauze on it, and stuck some medical tape on the gauze so it'd stay put. I put my jacket back on, and saw someone standing there, looking at me, with a book in their hands.  
"Do you need some help?" I asked sweetly.  
"Uh, yes. Do you have any books on-"  
"Gimme a second, I'll get our book expert." I went into the back room. "Someone's kinda...out there. Looking for some assistance."  
"Oh!" Dex said, leaving Angel and I there awkwardly.  
"So." Angel said. "Your watcher's very..."  
"British?" I suggested. He smiled.  
"That's one way of putting it." I smiled back. What should I say? I just said the first thing that came to mind.  
"Sorry about all the death threats. You can't be too careful when you're me."  
"I understand. I wouldn't be so trusting if I were you, either."  
"So we're going to be helping each other out, huh?"  
"Looks like it."  
"And, eh, thanks. For helping me out tonight."  
"No problem. How's that shoulder?"  
"I've had worse."  
"You've been the slayer about three weeks and you've already had worse wounds. Wow."  
"Not from being a slayer. From being slide tackled." Blank look. "In soccer." Blank still. "The sport?"  
"Oh, right."  
"Well, this girl slide tackled me, and her cleats were spikes, like what baseball players wear? And it cut through my sock and went into my ankle, and tore a ligament. I was on crutches for a long time after I got surgery."  
"How old were you?"  
"Thirteen."  
"Not too long ago."  
"Yeah, but my slayer-ness kinda made it better." Slayerness?! Dex came back in.  
"Sorry about that."  
"S'aight."  
"Slang." He glared at me.  
"Lo siento."  
"Spanish?" he questioned.  
"I have a test Monday. Might's well practice, right?"  
"I suppose so." He looked at his watch. "Ari, it's getting late. Won't your family-"  
"Foster family." I corrected.  
"Well, won't they be getting worried?"  
"That's why I stay out late."  
"Go home." He told me. Frick. I lost.  
"Whatever." I stood up and headed out the door. "Later."  
I was outside, walking down the street, when I heard someone call after me.  
"Ari! Hey, Ari!" I turned. It wasn't Angel. It wasn't Dex. It was a guy from my school. A jock, nonetheless. And I'd said exactly three words to him, one time: Hey, man. Move. (When he was in front of my locker, you see.)  
"Do I know you?"  
"James. I go to Lavine with you."  
"Right." I kept walking. He walked with me.  
"Where ya headed?"  
"Home."  
"Oh. Where do you live?"  
"I don't keep track of street names. I know where I'm going, does it matter what it's called?"  
"That's a good point."  
"I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but, why are you talking to me?"  
"I just was wondering if you knew what the History homework was."  
"We're in History together?"  
"Mr. Garret's class? Fourth period?"  
"Oh, right. Right. Um, we have some paper. I already did it, and therefore have forgotten about it. You're on your own, buddy."  
"Oh. Thanks anyway."  
"Yeah. See you at school. Don't get killed." I turned on my street, leaving him there. I'm good at doing that.  
  
~*~  
  
The next day at school, I was putting my books in my bag, getting ready to head over to the store, when I looked up from my bottom locker, and saw James, the guy from the previous night, standing there, varsity jacket and all that crap, smiling.  
"Hi Ari."  
"Hey."  
"Can I ask you something?"  
"I don't know, can you?" I asked him, getting my board out of my locker, and slamming it shut (the locker, not the board)  
"Uh, yeah. Um. What are you doing tonight?"  
"Shirking."  
"Huh?"  
"Wasting time."  
"Oh. Because, I was wondering... if you could possibly-"  
"No, I couldn't."  
"You didn't let me finish!"  
"And I don't intend to." I walked out of the building. Whatever the hell James wanted, he wasn't gonna get it.  
  
~*~  
  
"Dex?" I called out, as I stepped in the door of the bookstore. He was behind the counter, reading.  
"Oh, hello Ari." He glanced at his watch. "You're a little late."  
"So I'll stay a little later."  
"Do you mind if I asked what detained you?"  
"Jackass jocks of the third kind."  
"Language."  
"What? A jackass is a synonym for a donkey."  
"Okay, so a donkey athlete kept you from your sacred duty?"  
"If you say so." I dumped my board and my backpack behind the counter.  
"Are you ready to train?"  
"No, of course not."  
"Right. Let's go then." We walked into the back room, and someone behind a shelf popped out and called to us,  
"Excuse me, but what is the price of-"  
"Not a yellow dot, not for sale." Dex and I called back in unison, leaving the confused customer with their selection.  
"I thought we'd start on seeing how well you can swordfight. As you got in trouble last night, I thought it would be useful if we got some practice in."  
"Just gimme the sword."  
"Very well then." Dex took a long, silver sword out of the weapons trunk in the corner, and another one for himself. He tossed me the first sword, which I caught.  
"Let's go."  
"I think you should put on some padding-"  
"Don't need it. You might."  
"I do not need padding. You're not going to kill me."  
"No, but accidents happen..."  
"To the cocky and vain. Now put on that padding over there."  
"Whatever."  
  
After beating Dex in over ten rounds of swordplay, we decided to take a break. It was also sundown.  
"So, where should I patrol tonight?"  
"Ah, wherever you feel is best."  
"I'll take Central Park."  
"Very well." I removed the padding, and put the sword on the table. I took a long drink of water from the bottle on Dex's desk, then put it back down.  
"Later."  
"Be careful."  
"Will do." 


	6. Chapter Six: En Route

CHAPTER SIX: EN ROUTE  
  
High kick. Double punch. Take a blow. Fall down. Trip the opponent. They fall. I stake. They're dust. I stood up, task completed. I checked my wristwatch, but realized that I didn't have one after I'd already looked.  
"Damn." I muttered.  
"It's one forty five." A voice behind me said. I turned.  
"Do you ever just say 'hey, what's up' like a normal person?"  
"Not my nature." Angel replied. He walked over to me. "Good fight back there."  
"Well, I would've asked for some assistance, but my cut's all better."  
"That's good."  
"What? My cut, or my not needing help?"  
"Both."  
"Guess so."  
"How long have you been out here?"  
"Dunno. Sun set around six-ish, and I got some food, then worked the park."  
"So, over six hours."  
"Guess so."  
"That's a little much, don't you think?"  
"I'm not tired."  
"Doesn't your family worry?"  
"They're not my family."  
"Who are they, then?"  
"Foster family."  
"Been with them long?"  
"About four months. Longer than most foster families that I've been stationed with. Well, they'll get rid of me in time."  
"How is it you're so nonchalant about being a foster child?"  
"I've been one my whole life, that's why."  
"Where are your parents?"  
"Six feet under."  
"How old were you?"  
"One, maybe?"  
"How did they die?"  
"My mom was killed by a drunk driver, and my dad committed suicide the same night." I started to walk in the direction I needed to go in in order to go home.  
"Sorry." He followed, thinking I was offended by his questions. I wasn't.  
"Didn't know 'em, don't care. I mean, look at how some people turn out because of their folks. You wound up killing yours, right?" He was quiet. "Sorry, that was kind of harsh."  
"It's the truth."  
"Yes it is."  
"I see you've done your homework about me."  
"Dex, actually."  
"You know, and that's what matters."  
"Well, some say that ignorance is bliss. That's bullshit."  
"Some say that, too." I turned to him.  
"I'm sorry, but do you have a purpose for being here?"  
"Not really."  
"Okay then. Just wondering." He smiled, shuffling a little with his hands in his leather jacket's coat pockets. He was so gorgeous... stop. Vampire. Grr. Evil. Change. Subje- wow, his eyes are dark.  
"You heading home?"  
"Yeah. I guess so."  
"Want me to walk you there?"  
"It's a free country, do whatever you want."  
"Does that mean, go with you, or leave you alone?"  
"It means I don't care."  
"You seem to not care about almost everything."  
"Point being?"  
"Do you think that's healthy?"  
"No, Dr. Freud."  
"Fine. I'll leave you alone." He started to walk the other direction. I should've let him go, but I didn't.  
"Angel. I didn't mean to be a bitch. I'm just overworked and overwhelmed, that's all." He came back.  
"I didn't mean to pry."  
"You weren't. You were just inquisitive. I'm the same way sometimes. Forgiven?"  
"Forgiven."  
"Good. How about that walk, then?"  
  
~*~  
  
The next two months went by pretty routine: morning interrogation from the F.F. (foster fam), school, training and homework with Dex at the store, patrolling with Angel, followed by a walk back to my place during which we'd talk, and then I'd sneak up my fire escape to my room, where I'd sleep off the day's work. So, it was all pretty boring, you know? I mean, there were plenty of demons to kill, plenty of people I saved, plenty of researching, but nothing too extraordinary.  
I'd reached a certain level of comfort with Angel. We talked a lot, and I felt like we were almost friends. We got along now that I knew for sure he wasn't evil, and we fought pretty well together. I mean, he was pretty stealthy, meaning that sometimes I'd turn around and he'd just have pulled a Houdini, but that was cool with me. Dex and I still fought about cussing, slang, training and which music was decent. Dex liked classical music. And opera crap. I, on the other hand, like rock. Basically any rock. Except soft rock. That sucks. I liked stuff like The Beatles, though. Dex thought they were okay. One thing we agreed on. Just about the only thing, actually. Too bad you can't work out to Abbey Road.  
The Thomases had grown used to me coming and going at all times, but that didn't mean they liked it. Every morning it was: where were you last night. How late were you out. Who were you with. Are you doing drugs. Are you in a cult. Are you okay. Can we help. Will you be home at all today. Were you out all night. Blah Blah. Sometimes I'd make up stories. Sometimes they bought them. Sometimes they didn't. Alexa bought every last one I told her, though. One time I said I was hanging out with Kurt Cobain at the MTV Building. Alexa was like, that's so cool. And I said, yeah, except Kurt Cobain committed suicide 1994, incompetent, gullible brat. She cried.  
This one day, in November, I was putting my stuff away in my locker (I'd gotten to school about two hours late, because I'd had an all-nighter fight with this gang of vampires) and I was so tired that I'd felt the need to get some coffee from Starbucks on the way to school, making me even later. I didn't really care, though. My grades and test scores remained close to perfect, meaning that the F.F. couldn't come up with an excuse for me to be grounded, no matter how late I stayed out.  
Anyway, back to the point. I straightened up, books in hand, ready to go to class, when someone spoke to me.  
"Ari!" I turned, and saw Dex running up to me. "Do you have any idea how confusing this building is?"  
"Yeah. What are you doing here?"  
"I need to speak with you."  
"'Bout what?"  
"Just come with me."  
"Where?"  
"The store."  
"I have a little something I like to call school."  
"I have a little something I like to call apocalypse."  
  
~*~  
  
We went to the store, which the sign out front said was closed. Dex's special treat for the upcoming apocalypse.  
"What exactly is going on?" I asked him.  
"Go in the back room. I'll be there in one minute." I went. Angel was in there, sitting in a chair like it wasn't even daylight and there was no oncoming apocalypse.  
"It's daytime."  
"So I've noticed."  
"How'd you get here?"  
"Sewer tunnels."  
"Right."  
"You all right?"  
"For now."  
Dex came back in.  
"Take a seat, Ari." He motioned for the other chair, which I sat in. He himself perched on the table.  
"What's up with the apocalypse?" I asked Dex.  
"It, eh, it's not precisely an apocalypse." I couldn't believe it.  
"So this was a false alarm," Man, was I pissed.  
"Not exactly. It will be the end of the world if you do not stop the master from taking over the hellmouth."  
"One, what's the Master. Two, which hellmouth, and three, what do you want me to do about it?" I asked Dex.  
"The Master... a supreme vampire of sorts. He has risen in the town of Sunnydale, located on a hellmouth. If you do not stop him, then he will most likely attempt at world domination."  
"Hitler tried it and look at where it got him."  
"Please, Ari. Focus." Dex said.  
"I am focused. Very focused. But what do you want me to do?"  
"Stop him!"  
"How?!"  
"You will go to Sunnydale, and attempt to kill the Master before he takes over the entire town."  
"When?"  
"Now!"  
"How do you expect me to get there? I can barely afford the bus fare, much less a plane ticket to a hellmouth!"  
"I will cover the expenses." Dex explained. "I already have, in fact." He handed me a plane ticket, which I examined.  
"Can you handle this on your own?" Angel asked me. I didn't respond. I was focused on the ticket. I noticed something. Something important.  
"Dex."  
"Yes Ari?"  
"This plane ticket..."  
"What about it?"  
"It... it's a one way ticket."  
  
AN: Mwahaha. Fire bad, cliffhanger pretty. Read and review. Or you don't get any more! 


	7. Chapter Seven: One Way the Wrong Way?

CHAPTER SEVEN: ONE WAY THE WRONG WAY?  
  
"How do you expect me to get back on a one-way ticket?" I asked him. He took off his glasses, and got off the desk. He was pacing, not saying anything. Angel looked away, too. "You don't, do you?" I continued. "You don't think I'm gonna survive this."  
"You have to tell her. She figured it out. She isn't stupid, you know." Angel told Dex.  
"Tell me." I insisted when Dex said nothing. "Why don't you think I'm gonna live?" He still was quiet. Angel turned to me.  
"Don't get scared." He told me, putting his hand on my arm.  
"Too late." I brushed it off.  
"Ari. Dex and I found... a prophecy."  
"Good for you. What's it have to do with me?"  
"The prophecy said that the slayer would die at the hands of the Master." Angel told me. I knew it. I knew that my time would be short. I didn't want it. Death. Angel took my hands in his, and tried to get me to look at him. I couldn't. I didn't know how I was supposed to do this. Just... fight him and die?  
"If you'll excuse me I need to go kill a supreme vampire. I'll afford my own flight ticket home." I said this last bit right at Dex.  
"Are you sure you've got this?" Angel asked.  
"I'm sure. Just... take care of that guy. And the next slayer." I left them, my bag, my board, with my flight ticket, on my way to California.  
  
~*~  
  
I stepped off the bus from Los Angeles to Sunnydale. The trip had been long, and on the airplane I had slept, because I needed more of that stuff, and on the bus ride, I thought. I thought about so many things. My life.  
All the different foster homes I'd been to. You'd think, that averaging four different homes a year for fourteen years I wouldn't remember every single one and every single thing that had occurred at the house, and why they'd gotten rid of me. I did, though.  
I thought about the past, present, future. The future of what the world would be like without me. I wonder how Dex and Angel would tell the Thomases, and what their reaction would be. I wondered what Dex and Angel's reactions would be. Probably a quiet, knowing, accepting reaction. Angel's just like that, and Dex is British, so I bet that's what it would be like. I wondered who the next Slayer would be, and who would instruct her. What battles would she fight, what apocalypses she would face. Who her watcher would be. If Angel would seek her out and help her, too. And if he did, would she punch him like I did and see his true face? Would she see the endless nothing in his eyes like I did? Would everybody remember me? Probably not. The remembering, anyway.  
  
The scary thing was, I wasn't really scared about dying. I know that I'd probably go to hell. Or, maybe since I'm the Slayer I get a "get out of hell free" card. Like the monopoly things? I don't know. I hope I go to heaven. And maybe I'll meet up with my folks up there. Probably not my dad. If you commit suicide and abandon your baby girl it would make sense to go to hell, right? I wasn't worried about how I'd die. I just hoped it'd be quick. And that people would find my body. And that I wouldn't be a vampire. And that the Master wouldn't kill anybody else. That someone else would take care of him.  
That's when I wondered why the people I knew best, the ones who I consider myself close to, Dex and Angel, why I saw nothing when I looked at them. No flaws, but no strong points, either. And yet, they were both very flawed and very admirable. This paradox made me hum the song by Green Day, "Walking Contradiction." I love that song. Maybe I could ask the Master to put it on, so it's the last song I ever hear. That's my favorite song. That or "Smells like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana. I love Green Day and Nirvana. Sublime's not bad either. Music. My music. My CD's. I love rock, my music. I was sad that I hadn't brought my CD player. It was still in my backpack, which was still at the book shop. Maybe Dex and Angel would look through it. At my stuff. Or maybe they'd burn it. Or just toss it out. Or perhaps they'd even keep it. Send it to the Master as a sort of trophy: You won, She died, We lost.  
I got off the bus, and stepped out into the California sunshine. It was almost artificial: the pretty trees, flowers, grass, Suburbia, sky, sun. I preferred my city. I looked around. What next? I saw a pay phone by the main bus station. I went over to it, and put in the money. I dialed Dex's number. He answered.  
"Hello?"  
"Dex? Ari."  
"Ari. Are you in-"  
"Sunnydale? Yeah. What the hell am I supposed to do? I mean, it's daytime here, for one thing. How am I supposed to find the dude when it's daytime? And where am I gonna get weapons? How do I kill him and die at the same time?"  
"Ari, calm down. There is a man in Sunnydale, who was supposed to be the watcher of the other slayer. His name is Rupert Giles. Did you get that?"  
"Yeah. Should I just look him up?"  
"That is what I suggest you do. Oh, and, be careful."  
"Is Angel there?"  
"Ah, no. Not exactly."  
"Oh, okay."  
"Good luck. Give me a call if you need any more assistance."  
"Yeah. Bye. And thanks." I needed to thank him. Don't know why. I looked in the phone book at the bottom of the booth for Rupert Giles, found the address, and ripped out the page, taking it with me.  
  
~*~  
  
I was walking in Sunnydale, trying to find my way to this guy's place, when I saw a school. Maybe someone there would know how to find him. I saw a red-haired girl, quiet and all that, alone. She looked like she'd know stuff.  
"Excuse me," I said, approaching her. She nearly choked on her sandwich.  
"Are you talking to me?"  
"Yeah. Um, I was wondering if you could help me out..."  
"With what class? Do you go here? It's just... I've never seen you. Before. Here." She sort of stuttered, like she wasn't used to talking to people.  
  
"No, I'm from New York."  
"New York City?" I nodded. "Wow. What are you doing here?"  
"Um, visiting a..." Just lie! "My relative. Haven't seen him in many many years. Never been to his place. He, eh, he's my... cousin. From England. Lives in Sunnydale. Which is here." I'm such a bad liar. I'm usually not, it's just the way the kid was looking at me that made me lie so bad. Everybody was kind of looking at me. Nobody around here was dressed like me, that could be it. Before the girl could answer, a tall brunette in a yellow sundress came up to us, followed by a posse of sorts.  
"Willow. Who's your... friend?" She wrinkled her nose at me. You look at me like that again, I'll make sure that nose won't be able to wrinkle anymore. I thought.  
"Willow's my best friend. I'm here visiting from New York City." I threw my arm around her. Willow decided to play along a little. I held out my other hand. "I'm Ari."  
The girl didn't take it.  
"Cordelia. It was... nice... meeting you."  
"What was it you were gonna say to Willow?" I moved my arms and folded them. I know that they saw some of my arm muscle flex, because their eyes popped out of their sockets.  
"Nothing. I'll see you around." The brunette said, walking away.  
"You too... bitch." I muttered the last part under my breath. "So, you know your way around this town?"  
"Uh, yeah. I've lived here my whole life."  
"That sucks. Could you show me how to get to this address?" I asked her, showing her the paper.  
"Oh, Mr. Giles? He's the librarian here."  
"He is?"  
"Yeah, follow me." She stood up, taking her stuff with her, and I followed her to the library.  
  
~*~  
  
"Mr. Giles?" Willow called out when we entered the library. "Someone's here who says she knows you." Shit! Don't expand on the lie!  
A tall, gray haired man stepped out from behind a bookshelf. He had glasses, and kind of reminded me of Dex. This was, without a doubt, him. He looked at me, confused.  
"Can I have a minute with him alone? Thanks, Willow." She exited, leaving me with the librarian watcher guy.  
"Who are you?" He asked me.  
"I'm Ari Ransom. The-"  
"Slayer." He finished.  
"Yeah. I heard from my watcher, Dexter, that you could help me defeat the Master."  
"I am no watcher, Ari." He came down the stairs.  
"Look, all I need is information on how and where I can find and kill this dude, and the weapons to do it."  
"I have some weapons... and I also know where you can find the Master."  
"Coolness. Gimme the weapons and address and I'll be on my way."  
"It's... not that simple."  
"Oh?"  
"The Master... he has followers. As well as access to the Anointed One."  
"Okay, so I'll kill 'em all."  
"Don't you think you're being impulsive?"  
"I think I'm being smart in not wasting my time and killing as many of them as possible before I die. Okay?"  
"So you have heard of the prophecy?"  
"Yes I have."  
"And you're not-"  
"Just gimme the fucking weapons. And the address."  
"If you won't heed my advice-"  
"She won't." I turned and saw Angel walk through the door of the library. What was he doing here?  
"Angel." I said.  
"Hi Ari."  
"How did you get here?"  
"Took a flight about half an hour after yours."  
"But it's daylight."  
"Sewers."  
"Oh."  
"Why'd you come?"  
"Thought you might want some help."  
"I don't need help."  
"You say that now. You've never met the Master."  
"So how do I kill this guy? Will a normal stake or fire or decapitation do it?"  
"I don't know." Angel said.  
"Well, he's a vampire, and so I suppose we could play it by ear. Try the normal stuff, then if it doesn't work, retreat and research." I suggested.  
"It's risky." Angel said.  
"I can do it."  
"I know."  
"So, Giles, weapons, location?"  
"The master is located somewhere under ground."  
"Okay, so we'll look through the tunnels and try to find him."  
"And weapons are in the book cage. Take whatever you like."  
"Thanks. Can't promise they'll make it back."  
  
AN: Review or die. I'm serious. Besides, if you dont and i dont post more of the chapters ive ALREADY WRITTEN (meaning you can get em rapidfire if you review enuf) u'll never know...will she pull a buffy and die and come back? will she just die? will she survive and kick the master's f***ing ass? YOU DONT KNOW! HAHAHAHAHA! sorry. too much coffee today. summary: REVIEW DAMN YOU! 


	8. Chapter Eight: Untitled because i am an ...

CHAPTER EIGHT  
  
Angel and I walked down the hall of Sunnydale High towards the boiler room, which was in the basement, and had access to the sewer tunnels. On the way there, I literally rammed into Willow, the redhead who'd helped me earlier.  
"Hi, Ari." She said nervously. "Where are you going?"  
"Boiler room." Couldn't lie anymore.  
"Why?"  
"Giles needs something he left down there. Nice talking to you." We kept moving, and opened the boiler room door, going inside.  
  
~*~  
  
"How long have we been down here?" I asked Angel.  
"About an hour, I'd say."  
"Think the sun's set?"  
"Probably not."  
"Damn. I need to get out of these tunnels."  
"Well, we need to find the Master, and he's said to be underground."  
"What's that?"  
"The Master is-"  
"No. That." I pointed to the end of the tunnel, which was a solid concrete door, almost.  
"I think it's a door."  
"Let's open it." Angel tried. Then I tried to help. Both of us combined couldn't pull it open.  
"On the count of three, we kick it in."  
"Right."  
"One...two...three!" We kicked. It budged. We had to do it seven more times to get it through. We entered the dank, dirty room. No doubt about it, it had been inhabited. And it still was.  
"The Slayer." A hoarse, old voice said from the corner of the room. It belonged to an extremely pale, wrinkly vampire with a pink nose.  
"The Master?" I inquired.  
"I've been waiting for you."  
"Yeah, well, jet lag and all."  
"One with a sense of humor. Interesting."  
"You think I'm funny, you should meet Homer Simpson." The Master stood, and walked toward me.  
"Ready to rumble?" I asked him. No reply. "Well, ready or not, here I come." I ran to the platform where his chair (the one he'd stood up from) was, where he was standing, and jumped on the platform. I high kicked him in the head, and when he didn't move, I threw a bottle of holy water at him. It hit him, and he started to smoke a little, but it didn't do much, displayed to me by his laugh. Now I got pissed. I pulled out my stake.  
"Do you really think that a stake can kill me?"  
"Let's find out." I shoved it to where his heart was, but he jumped up, and over me. He grabbed my neck with his arm.  
"Angel!" I choked out. He jumped onto the platform and stabbed the Master with a stake. Only it was on the wrong side. No heart. But it went through him. Into my shoulder. Man, it hurt! Must've hurt the Master, too, because he loosened his grip on me and I slipped out, snapping his arm behind his back. "Stake him! Now!" I instructed Angel, and he tried, but the Master got out of my grip, just as I'd gotten out of his. Someone slammed me from behind with something heavy, and I fell to the ground. Slowly I got up, and kicked the henchman that had hit me. I staked him good and quick, and then three others that came onto me right after the Master had moved. Angel was fighting him in another corner of the room. When I was done I rushed over to help him out. I hit the Master with a flying kick that sent him to the side, knocking him off balance. He bounced back, though, and grabbed my head. When Angel tried to get him, he threw him to the other side of the room, slamming him against a wall and knocking him out. He still held his grip tight on my neck. I struggled against him, trying to loosen his grip with my hand, but with his free hand snapped my right wrist. What he didn't know was that I'm ambi, and I hit him with my fist in the nose. He grabbed that one and broke it with his own hand. Then he sunk his teeth into my neck. It didn't hurt as much as I thought it would, just made me dizzy. He stopped drinking, though, leaving me alive. Then he hit me again, and hard. I fell off the platform, and hit my head on this little rock wall surrounding a vat of water, in which my head fell. I saw the water start to turn a deep red from my blood, and then it all went black, and my breathing slowed, and I heard the Master start to leave.  
  
AN: That all? You decide. Want her to die? Want this to be it? Or ya want her to survive? You review, you get more. You don't, no more. PLEASE REVIEW MAKE MY DAY! 


	9. Chapter Nine: What's Up With That?

CHAPTER NINE: WHAT'S UP WITH THAT?  
  
I woke up in a hospital bed, in a hospital gown, in a hospital room, in a hospital (go figure.) I looked around, and sat up. Angel was in a chair against the wall. He was awake, and when he saw I was up, he smiled. My head felt pretty bad, and so did my neck where I'd been bitten.  
"You're up." He said.  
"And I'm not dead. What's up with that?"  
"You were. You stopped breathing. Your heart stopped beating... I took you to the hospital anyway. They brought you back."  
"How?"  
"CPR."  
"And the Master?"  
"I took care of him."  
"How?"  
"As he was leaving, I snuck up behind him with the knife and decapitated him. He turned to dust, except for his bones, which I set on fire."  
"Oh."  
"How are you feeling?"  
"Dizzy. My head kinda hurts."  
"I'm not surprised."  
"Am I still in Sunnydale?"  
"No, I took you to a New York hospital."  
"Ha ha. When do we go back?"  
"They let you out tomorrow."  
"Good. That's... good."  
"You fought really well."  
"You too. And hey, you killed the Master. Good for you." He stood up.  
"Can I get you anything?"  
"Something with caffeine would be great."  
"I'll be right back." He left, and came back in a few minutes with a cup of coffee, which he handed to me.  
"Thanks." I told him, taking a long drink. The caffeine almost instantly went to my head. "Whoa. Caffeine rush." He smiled. "You're being really quiet. What's going on?"  
"It's nothing."  
"No, it's something. Come on, who am I gonna tell?"  
"I was just worried about you, that's all."  
"I'm fine. Perky, dizzy, but fine."  
"Still, you should take a few nights off when we get back to New York."  
"That'd be nice. Only I'd have to deal with the foster fam, which is not so nice."  
"What don't you like about them?"  
"I just... don't. I can't explain it."  
"That's fine. You don't need to."  
"Thanks."  
"For what?" He asked me.  
"For everything. For helping to save my life, for listening, understanding... just being there."  
"You're welcome."  
  
~*~  
  
We went back to New York the next day. We snuck onto the plane, in the baggage compartment, so that there would be no sunlight to set Angel on fire. He snuck on board by going under the plane's shadow, while I made sure the coast was clear. Then I jumped on board. We went to the very back of the compartment, and leaned against the bags and side of the plane. I wound up sleeping on the baggage the whole time, and Angel just sat there, and woke me up when we landed. I made some joke about turbulance before the flight took off, and how we'd be toast if there was any. I made Angel laugh. He could sometimes appreciate my humor, which was nice, as Dex couldn't, and neither could anybody else I knew.  
We landed, and it was nighttime in New York, so there was no trouble with staying out of the sunlight. We went straight to the store, and told Dex everything that happened, and how Angel defeated the Master, and I'd died for about ten minutes. He was relieved to see me, he said, and congratulated Angel on killing the Master. Then Angel walked me home, and I climbed up the fire escape and went to sleep in my room.  
The next morning, I went into the kitchen, drank some orange juice, and toasted a bagel. I was eating my bagel when Mary and Jeff came in the kitchen.  
"Where were you?"  
"We were so worried!"  
"Where did you go?"  
"Why didn't you call?"  
I casually hopped off the counter, took my bag, and said,  
"I was at a friend's house. I didn't call because it seemed irrelevant, and if you were worried, too bad." I walked out the front door. They'd get rid of me in time. I was too much stress.  
  
~*~  
  
A few nights later I went back to patrolling, but Angel insisted on coming with me every night. I told him just because I'd died once, there was no need to worry. He laughed, Dex said it wasn't funny, and Angel said that I couldn't stop him from tagging along. I was too lazy to oppose him.  
One night, about a week after I had started patrol, I went alone in Central Park. A lot of the time, vampires and demons would bring people out there, say shit about what a nice night it was, then it was all fangs and blood and death. I saw one of these couples, and I could tell right away that it was the guy who was the vampire. They were standing on a bridge, and the girl was looking at the water, and the guy was behind her, holding her shoulders, looking at her neck. I tapped the guy on the shoulder, and he turned, right in time to meet my fist in his face. He was a vampire.  
"Run." I told the girl. She did, after seeing the guy's face. I kicked him, and pulled out a stake. I jabbed him right in the heart, and he was dust.  
"You shouldn't be out here alone." A voice said. I turned. Yes, it was Angel.  
"You never showed up."  
"You told me to meet you at the graveyard. Did you just want to ditch me?"  
"I needed some time alone."  
"It's too dangerous."  
"I'm the slayer, everything's dangerous."  
"That's not the point."  
"Look, I died. I'm back, and I'm fine. Get over it."  
"Would that be my exit cue?"  
"No. I just don't always need you going all 'Big Brother is Watching You' all the time."  
"Sorry,"  
"S'ok."  
"Good. Look, it's late. Do you want me to walk you home?"  
"One more slay."  
"On the way out of the park, if there's another slay, you'll slay."  
"Let's just circle it one more-"  
"I might not be a native New Yorker, but I do know how big Central Park is, and how long it takes to circle it."  
"Come on, it's only-" I grabbed his wrist and checked his watch "Midnight."  
"Your foster family will worry."  
"I think they worried a bit more when I was on 'vacation' in Sunnydale."  
"Doesn't mean they won't worry now."  
"Look, they don't give a shit. If they really worried, they'd have called out the National Guard or the SWAT team or something. Besides, I don't care. Look, I'm staying out here, and there's nothing you can do about it. Besides, I kinda wanna avoid them tomorrow."  
"You mean today?"  
"Quit it with the technical."  
"So, you don't want to go home."  
"I'm not going home tomorr- today."  
"How are you gonna sleep?"  
"I could pull a hobo and crash on a bench. Or I could break into the bookstore and sleep there."  
"Just crash at my place." Whoa. That was a little overboard.  
"Y-You sure?"  
"Yeah. If you want to avoid them, you can just stay at my apartment for a night. I'm not going to pull any stunts."  
"You're not a stunt pulling kind of guy."  
"So, you up for it?"  
"I guess, sure." I was at a kind of comfort level where I could sleep on his couch, anyway. So, Angel and I started towards his apartment, away from my foster home.  
  
AN: Oooh... "his place". continue or not to continue? you decide... read and review. 


	10. Chapter Ten: Birthday Bitch

AN: Here's where we start to get into the real Ari/Angel stuff... but not what you think. I get more into it later on... but i hope u enjoy this. review and i'll post another chapter. dont review, i'll post a chapter like two months later when i remember this story. --emily  
  
CHAPTER TEN: BIRTHDAY BITCH  
  
I woke up the next morning a little confused as to where I was at first, but then after a moment remembered that I'd crashed at Angel's the night before, after patrol. I sat up in his bed, still in my clothes from yesterday, only my boots were on the ground next to the bed. I sat up, and felt my hair for a minute. Ugh. Bed head Ari. I pulled my hair out of its ponytail, and then remembered that he had no mirrors. I combed through it with my fingers to make it look okay, and then looked around for Angel. The bedroom door was open, as it had been last night, and I looked out of it, too lazy to get up and walk around to find him. I didn't hear any water running, so I was pretty sure he wasn't in the shower.  
"Angel?" I called out to him. I don't see why I should have done that, because I could've just left and not said anything. I'm good at that. Leaving quietly. He was there, though, so even if I had, I couldn't have avoided him to tell him the, I say this in an utmost sarcastic tone, good news about what day it was. He came into the bedroom, in black pants and a wife beater, hair a little messier than usual. Had I woken him up?  
"I didn't know you were up." He said to me, still sort of quiet as usual. He was sort of smiling, though. I'd only seen him smile, maybe two times max., but this half-smile was kind of cuter.  
"Just woke up now."  
"Do you need to get to school?"  
"No school on Saturday," I explained. I looked around. No clocks. How does the man live with no clocks and no mirrors? "What time is it?" He glanced at his watch.  
"About nine thirty."  
"Oh." We were silent for a minute then, and he sat down in a chair on the wall opposite the bed.  
"What are you doing today?"  
"Avoiding the foster fam,"  
"So nothing different?" He joked.  
"More than usual."  
"Why?" He knew it was time to get serious. Which he was good at.  
"They'll try to do some stupid family gathering birthday shit. Foster families always do."  
"Birthday?" Shit. I'd let it slip.  
"Yeah. Mine."  
"Why didn't you tell me?"  
"It seemed irrelevant." This was true.  
"Well, irrelevant or not..." He got up, and went to his dresser. He opened a drawer, and pulled out a present. Dammit, how'd he know?  
"How'd you know about this?"  
"That's my secret." He handed me the package. I tried to give it back. I hate displays of sentimentality, and presents fall into that category.  
"I don't need anything. Material possessions corrupt us all."  
"You say everything corrupts us. I think you'll want this." He shoved the package back into my hands, and sat on the edge of the bed. Now curiosity got the better of me. I opened up the brown paper. What I saw lying in my hands I could hardly believe. I could barely speak I was so shocked.  
"Angel, how did you- where did you get this?" I turned the book over in my hands, feeling its old cover, opening it, admiring the binding, the first edition print, everything about it. The book I had wanted for so many years was in my hands. Mine to keep. It was very overwhelming.  
"Another one of my secrets. Do you like it?"  
"It's-It's perfect. How did you know..."  
"I just did." I tore my eyes away from the book for one minute to look at him. I smiled (setting my record for how many times I smiled in a month) and meant it.  
"This is awesome. Thank you."  
"You're welcome." He knew I loved it, and he'd gotten it. That was so... sweet of him. Nobody'd ever done anything like- back to the book now. I opened up the book, looking at the beautiful pages of over a hundred years old. The first edition of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was mine. Twain and Orwell were my favorite authors ever. How did he know that?  
"This...really, it's great. You didn't have to do this."  
"You wanted it."  
"How did you know that?"  
"Actually, I guessed. I didn't expect this big of a reaction..."  
"This is one of my favorite books, Angel."  
"I'm glad you like it."  
"I love it. I am never letting this thing out of my sight." He smiled, but then changed the subject.  
"So, what are your plans for today besides avoiding your foster family at all costs?"  
"I have a date." A look passed across his face. I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was. Whatever it was, I didn't like it. I finished my sentence.  
"With some vampires and a graveyard." If he could breathe, I bet he'd sigh a huge sigh of relief. That was what the expression on his face said, anyway.  
"You shouldn't work on your birthday."  
"I didn't know I was allowed to take the night off." I swung my legs over the side of the bed and put on my boots.  
"It's unhealthy for someone to not take a night off. Everyone needs a vacation, even the chosen one."  
"Okay, now that I've got my excuse down, I am fully prepared to slack. Wanna hang?" He probably had some vampire thing to do or something, in which case I'd go and sit in Central Park or try to brace family night with the Thomases. Which would suck.  
"Sure." Hallelujah, praise the savior from family "fun".  
"Cool. I'll come over later and bring some videos or something." I finished tying my boots, and I stood up, holding my book in my hands. So did he. Only without the book.  
"So I'll see you later tonight, then," He clarified.  
"Yeah. And, thanks again for this. It really is perfect." I meant it. This was really the best thing I could have gotten from anyone.  
"You're welcome."  
I went out the door and waved goodbye, leaving him there to do whatever the hell it is vamps do during the day. Sleep or whatever.  
  
~*~  
  
I climbed back into my room through my window, trying not to make noise. I had taken off my boots for this purpose, and put them down gently on the floor once I was inside. I put the book inside my night stand gently, so as not to damage it, and so that if YoucancallmeMary came in to clean or something she wouldn't question where I'd gotten it. They probably think I'm a vandal or something. Or that I belong to a cult. I showered and changed into some jeans and a shirt that said: "people like you are the reason people like me need therapy" and went into the main room. Might as well get it over with. I'd see them today anyway. They'd make sure of it. Sure as hell, they were all sitting at the table, enjoying their Saturday brunch or whatever.  
"Good morning birthday girl," YoucancallmeJeff said.  
"Happy birthday Avarielle," You YoucancallmeMary greeted. I hate it when people use my whole name. Too damn long, and too damn pretty. It makes me sound like a weak, pretty princess or something. Which I am definitely not.  
"Avarielle, you should see what Mommy and Daddy got you. They decided that you were-"  
"Avarielle, can Mary and I speak with you for a minute?" YoucancallmeJeff intervened. It was fine. He could've let the midget say it. I was too much to handle and they think I'd be better off elsewhere, so they called social services some time ago and found me somewhere else to live where they think I'll be happier.  
After the foster 'rents confirmed everything I had predetermined, I acted reticent and unfazed. I'd done this millions of times. Driven the host family nuts until they need special medications, therapy, and kick me out.  
"When do I leave?"  
"Tomorrow afternoon," YoucancallmeMary said. They told me that I was supposed to go live with some woman named Laura in this penthouse nearer to the Business District, which would mean I'd have to go to Rockford High. Whoopdeedoo. Now I'll be living in JAP central in an apartment that could probably house fifty people comfortably but only two people will live in. Oops, wait, forgot the maids.  
"Kay. I'll pack and then I'm going over to my friend's house later tonight," This was true, in a way. Angel was the closest thing I'd ever had to a friend. Shouldn't have used that word though.  
"You made a friend? Good for you!" Oh boy.  
"What's her name?" YoucancallmeJeff asked. Oh boy. He'd asked for it. Couldn't resist.  
"His name is Angel. He's not in school." Man, I hit 'em where it hurts. They were worried. Don't know why.  
"Is he your boooyyfriend?" Alexa sneered. Shit, when'd she get in here?  
"No, Alexa. He's my friend who's a guy. Get lost. Preferably in Times Square." I really was on fire today.  
"Mommy!" She screamed.  
"Avarielle, that's quite enough."  
"Hey, I'm not your daughter. Now I'm not even your foster child. I can say whatever the hell I want to your bitch of a daughter," Okay, maybe that was over the top. "I'll be packing and then I'll be off." I continued, and went to my room, leaving them all there, stunned.  
  
~*~  
  
After I'd finished packing, I went to the video store and picked up some movies. I wanted to see what Angel was like when he laughed. Or if I could even make him laugh. Well, not me, but Adam Sandler, Jim Carrey, and Cartman. (I got Billy Madison, Grosse Pointe Blank, and a South Park video)  
I don't think that there's a person in the world who won't laugh at "Hi, I'm Martin Blank. I'm not married, I don't have kids, and I'd blow your head off if somebody paid me enough" or "that silly penguin's back again." I went over to Angel's. When I was walking over there, I contemplated telling him the semi good news. Which I did.  
  
"So, I was thinking, even if I don't get a fire escape, I should be okay, because it's a penthouse, so I can probably get up onto the roof, and walk across it to wherever the fire escape is."  
"So, you don't mind leaving the Thomases?"  
"Hell no. I actually seized the opportunity to call Alexa a bitch and told her to get lost in Times Square. You shoulda seen the looks on their faces,"  
"It's better than what I did to some families."  
"That's true."  
"Want to start the movies?"  
"Sure."  
  
We watched South Park and we were at the end of Grosse Pointe when I suddenly found myself doing something I'd never done before. I had seen this movie four times, so I was sure it wasn't the movie. It was me. Something about me. I didn't get it, and I couldn't stop. I was crying. Softly, though. And not too hard. But, none the less, I was crying. I tried to stop. I turned away from Angel for a minute and wiped the tears away, but they kept flowing. Angel looked at me. I'll bet you he knew what was happening.  
"You okay, Ari?"  
"Yeah, fine." Lie. Lie. Lie. He knew it, too. He turned me to face him, and saw a tear. He looked at me, confused. I was confused, too. Why couldn't I stop?  
"What's wrong?" He seemed really concerned, which surprised me.  
"I don't know...I can't stop." He did something something I didn't expect, then. He pulled me close to him and held me, letting me cry on his shoulder. Why was he doing this? Was this some sort of friend thing? I'd only seen this happen on TV and in the movies and stuff when a girl got dumped and then the other guy in the love triangle would hold her and tell her it was okay. This wasn't like that, though. It was so different. He held me, though. Just held me, let me get out whatever the hell I was getting out.  
"I've never cried before. Not even when I hurt my ankle." I told him, tears still flowing.  
"Everyone's got to cry sometime."  
"Why? I didn't do anything. Nobody did anything to me. What's going on?"  
"Shh." I closed my eyes, and the tears slowed. He never let me go. It was comforting, in a way. Nobody had ever held me like this. I mean, maybe when I was a baby, but that doesn't count because I can't remember it.  
"Slayers aren't supposed to cry," I said.  
"It's okay to cry."  
"You don't."  
I pulled away. My tears had stopped. We looked at each other then, and I saw something in his eyes. It might've been pain. Or sadness. Or the pain and sadness of my straightforward veracity. I didn't know. I didn't know why what happened next happened, either.  
He kissed me. Just kissed me, and I kissed him back. We sat there, I don't know how long, just kissing each other passionately, but softly, until we finally pulled away from each other.  
"Why did you do that?" I asked him. I wasn't mad, just confused.  
"I don't know." He told me, sort of guiltily. I looked away from him, trying to move on by watching the movie. It was over. The credits, too. Great.  
"The movie's over." Ari states the obvious once again.  
"Yeah."  
We sat there awkwardly for a long time, not moving. Him especially, because he didn't have to breathe and he didn't have ADD.  
"Okay, why did that happen?" I couldn't help it.  
"Look, Ari, it happened. But let's just pretend it didn't all right?"  
"What?" I was confused again. What the hell was he saying?  
"That happened, okay, but it can never happen again. I'm a vampire, you're a slayer. We can't let feelings get in the way of that." He was right, but I hated him for it.  
"So, you're saying we shouldn't be around each other anymore?"  
"If that's what it takes."  
"Well, isn't this ironic?" I was getting pissed. "I finally make a friend and then it gets all fucked up because he kisses me."  
"Ari-"  
"No. I- I should have staked you when I first met you. But do you know why I didn't? Because there was something about you that I sensed. I didn't know what it was and I still don't know. All I do know is that every time I look at you I see something I don't see in anyone else. Do you know what that is? Nothing. And in everyone else there's something there, even in vampires, some things good and some things bad, but with you there was nothing and that scared me and it interested me. So I let you live, and I let myself come to this. I let you let me come to this." I stopped. I felt like I couldn't say any more. But I did. "Now I think I finally know what this nothing is. It's love, Angel." Shit. I'd really messed it up now.  
"Ari. You can't love me."  
"Then why do I?"  
"It's not love, it's an illusion. Get out of here. Go home."  
"You mean my psychotic broken foster home that doesn't even want me? Sure. It's a hell of a lot better than here." I just got up and left, then.  
But now I understood more and less about me and Angel. The more: I loved him, but he didn't love me. The less: why. Why did he kiss me and save my life and help me and follow me around and give me the one thing I wanted most in the world and not love me? I didn't get it, and now I didn't even want to. All I wanted was to get out and to be alone. 


	11. Chapter Eleven: Rooftop Safety and City ...

CHAPTER ELEVEN: ROOFTOP SAFETY AND CITY COMFORT  
  
I got to the penthouse the next day. The woman from social services was supposed to come with me, but I told her I'd go on my own. I left the Thomases without saying goodbye. I took all my clothes and books and CDs and all in my duffel. I seriously considered leaving Huck Finn back at the Thomases, to spite Angel, but Alexa would probably burn it and it was something that I loved too much to leave in a hellhole where the only upside was an easy way out. Sure, it could be replaced, but there was something about it that made me not want to give it up. Not just yet, anyway.  
When I got up to the penthouse I met Laura Ralston, my new foster parent. She was about forty, and she had dark brown hair and pale skin. She was dressed in businesslike clothes, and was very well made up. She showed me around, and was nice, but my mind was elsewhere. That is, until, we went further into the penthouse.  
Laura showed me to my bedroom. She opened the door at the end of the hall, and I stepped inside first. I put my stuff down on the floor first, and looked around. It was the nicest bedroom I'd ever been in.  
The room was painted a dark purple, like, the darkest purple ever. It was an awesome color. The room was really big, with four windows, two on one wall, two on the other. They were long windows, open-able, with dark purple curtains over them. I looked out the window, and saw that I had been blessed with a fire escape once more. Cha-ching! I stepped away, and looked at more of the room. There was a huge, big, comfy-looking bed in the corner on the same side of the wall as the door, which was in the other corner. It had a white duvet and all these different colored pillows on it. There were two nightstands on either side of it, one with a cool dark blue lamp. On one of the walls with two windows, not the one with the fire escape, the other one, there was a mahogany dresser. In the corner in between these walls, there was a little table with a CD rack on it. On the wall opposite the fire escape wall, there was a walk-in closet, and a door to my own bathroom. Near the door to the hallway, there was another door.  
"What's in here?" I asked Laura.  
"Go on in and see," She told me, smiling. I kind of liked her by now. I opened the door, and stepped inside.  
It was a whole other room. Bigger than my bedroom. Huge. This one had navy-blue walls, and all these band movie posters and shit that were from some of the best movies ever. It had a gigantic stereo on one wall, and also on this wall was a big built-in desk with a sweet computer, and all these drawers and cabinets with locks and keys that were perfect for hiding weapons. On another wall there was a big-screen TV with a DVD player and everything, and a big, navy blue couch opposite it. Hanging from the ceiling was this sweet punching bag, perfect for training. There was also a CD rack and a whole stack of DVDs that I loved. How the hell did she know one of my fave movies was Heathers? There was even this little kitchen on the other side of the punching bag wall. It had a little fridge and freezer and cabinets and stuff. Then, this whole one wall, was a built in bookshelf filled with these awesome books that I'd read and loved, or that I desperately wanted to read. I looked over some of the titles and stopped when I came to this one shelf that had all these old books. That had to do with magic and supernatural stuff. I turned to Laura.  
"Do you believe in this stuff?" I asked her.  
"Avarielle, I am a witch. I am a witch who does magic and used to coordinate with the Watchers Council of England. Part of the reason I was so eager to take you on as my foster child is because you are are the slayer." She smiled at me. I took this in, and then another thought crossed my mind.  
"Can I try spells and stuff?" I asked her. I was getting excited, and I made up my mind about one thing: I WAS NEVER GOING TO LEAVE.  
"My dear, you will try as many spells as you like. Train as much as you like. Go out and come in whenever you want."  
"What's the catch?" There was always a catch.  
"You have to stay."  
"Why do you care so much?"  
"I always wanted a daughter. To teach her spells, my business ethics, everything. And just to have company. Someone headstrong, not afraid to be herself. You are that perfect daughter I dreamed up many years ago, Avarielle."  
"Ari. Call me Ari. Avarielle's too long."  
"I agree."  
"I'll stay, Laura. I'll stay as long as I can."  
  
~*~  
  
Laura told me about my new school, Jefferson, and then let me do whatever the hell I wanted. She told me to get rest, and to unpack my stuff and all, which I did. Then I turned on the TV. She had satellite. Sweetness. I turned on Comedy Central and SNL was on. I watched TV for like, three hours, which made me feel like a junkie.  
Then, South Park came on and I wasn't laughing. This made me think of last night, which got me feeling sick. I also just wasn't in the mood for silly humor. You know how when you get sick of something, because you're not in the mood, and you just want to be alone, and not indoors? Well, that's what I felt just then. I needed to get out. Anywhere. Then something struck me: the roof! I left the TV on and went back into my bedroom. I opened up the window and stepped onto the fire escape. I climbed up to the roof of the building.  
It was nighttime, the sun had set. I was on the huge roof of my building. So this was how big the whole penthouse was. I looked out at the skyline, but the view didn't comfort me like it usually did. I tried running around on the roof, to burn energy, but it didn't work either. I considered going back in my room and punching the punching bag a little, but I didn't feel like it. I just felt like sitting up there, doing nothing. So I sat, leaning against the little wall that went around the roof. I saw a half-full beer bottle further down the wall. It looked good, and I was getting thirsty, so I drank it all pretty fast. I choked, coughed, but then sat back down. Man, that stuff was nasty.  
I closed my eyes and sat there for I don't know how long, not thinking, not sleeping, not daydreaming. It was nice, the wind blowing through my hair, chilling me, making goose bumps run up and down my arms. Then I saw a snowflake. At first I thought it was a hallucination: there really isn't much snow in November, but then another. Before I knew it it was snowing like crazy, and it was insanely cold. I was getting wet, because the snow melted when it hit my bare skin (don't ask me why I went out there in a tank top and scrubs) but I didn't care. I liked just sitting up here on the roof, watching the snow fall. I tipped my face up so that the snow would fall on my freckled cheeks and closed eyes. But I was getting tired, and didn't want to leave, because the rain was so great, and so I curled up on the roof, with the snow still pouring down, not stopping, and I was getting so cold, but I didn't care and I started to sleep. I don't know how long I was up there, a few hours, maybe, but I woke up pretty randomly. It was still dark.  
"Huh..." I mumbled, and went back to sleep.  
Later, I was woken up again by someone shaking my shoulder hard, calling my name.  
"Ari! Wake up." I opened my eyes, just in time to catch another drop of water right in my eye. When I opened them again Angel was sitting next to me. I thought I was having a weird dream for a minute there, but Angel was really there. Kinda spinning around. Everything was. Dizziness. Yuck. Wait, but how the hell did he know where I lived? I'd moved. And why did he care, anyway? Why did I care about what he cared or didn't care? I was really cold, shivering, wet, and not feeling too good.  
"Why were you up here?" He asked me.  
"South Park was on... there was some beer..."  
"Okay, let's get you inside." He stood, motioned for me to get up, too, but I didn't. I didn't want to get up. I wanted to stay out there, sleeping in the rain. It was nice and cool and wet, and I felt so warm and so cool at the same time... an interesting feeling I'd never experienced. Everything was still spinning, and the snow was still falling, more than at first, making me shiver out of pure delight and chill.  
"Ari, come on. Get up."  
"Don't wanna," I mumbled, and turned over to face the wall side of the roof. I wanted to give up. To just sit there all night, all my life, until I died. It would be a great way to die. Sitting there, happy and cold and wet, as opposed to blood, and heat and fighting and rage. Angel wouldn't let me, though. He went over to me, and picked me right up, without any struggle at all, and took me over to the fire escape. He went down it, to my room, and stepped through the open window. How did he know which was mine? He did, somehow, and he got me inside, still shivering and wet. He put me on the bed and felt my forehead.  
"How long were you up there, Ari?" I shrugged.  
"South Park started at seven thirty..."  
"It's four in the morning. Did you go up there when it started?" Did I? Yeah, I think so. I nodded. "How long was it raining?"  
"Long time. I went to sleep... then I woke up, and then I went back to sleep, and then woke up again..."  
"Stay here, don't move." He went right into my bathroom, and came back with a thermometer. I didn't even know there was a thermometer in there. "Open your mouth, stick this under your tongue." I did. After a while, I was getting tired, and started to fall asleep, but he pulled out the thermometer, which woke me up. Everything was starting to spin around a little, it got sorta fuzzy.  
"Ari, you have a temperature of a hundred and four."  
"Woopdee fucking doo." I didn't care. I rolled over on the bed, still wet, still dizzy, boots still on, and I was still shivering. I tried to sleep, but he wouldn't let me. He turned me back to him.  
"Ari, what is wrong with you?"  
"I don't care..."  
"Yes, you do. You have to care. Come on, you're being stupid."  
"I am stupid..."  
"No you're not. You're acting stupid, that's different than being stupid. Now go to your foster parent and have her find out for herself that you're sick."  
"Sleep is better than foster parents... not home... don't think..." I didn't know where the hell she was, and I had no intention to find out.  
"No. Get up." He shook my shoulder. That bugged me.  
"Don't touch me," I whined.  
"All right, that's it." He picked me up again.  
"Nooo."  
"I'm taking you to the hospital. A hundred and four is too high a temperature for you to be sitting around..." I don't remember anything else he said as he took me out of my room and jumped off the fire escape. I held onto him when he jumped down, and he landed on his feet, I remember that. But everything was fading away... the rain, him, me, the stars, the city, the lights...  
  
~*~  
  
When I woke up, my head was pounding with a migraine, I was cold and still felt warm, I was dizzy, and I was in a hospital. Goody. I sat up and was nearly scared to death by Laura sitting in a chair next to my bedside. She was smiling, though.  
"When I said you could do anything you wanted, I didn't mean go up on the rooftop, get poured on and get sick." She said.  
"Sorry. What time is it?"  
"Five o clock."  
"In the morning?"  
"No. The afternoon." Jeez, I'd slept almost twelve hours since Angel found me on the roof.  
"You've been in my care for less than twenty four hours and already you're getting sick on the roof. What made you do it? Alcohol? Drugs? Sheer depression?"  
"South Park was on."  
"Well, I can see why you went up on the roof, then." Laura smiled.  
"I don't like it anymore. It pisses me off."  
"I don't blame ya. It's a good thing that someone went up there and found you."  
"Hmm?" Oh, right. Angel.  
"Nice young man, too. Said he just found you up there and took you down here. Considerate. Nice to know that not everybody in this day and age is corrupt."  
"He is corrupt. We all are."  
"That's one way of looking at the world."  
"Can I be alone, Laura?" I asked her. I really was sick of talking.  
"Sure, honey." She got up and left. I sat up, and saw something on the nightstand. Huck Finn. Not mine, though. An ordinary, newer, paperback copy that someone must have dropped off or left or something. I picked it up, and felt its coarse, conformed pages. It was the same book, though. Just not as special. I started to read it, from the beginning. I was only on about chapter three when my door opened again. It was Angel. I did not want to see him. He was about the last person I wanted to see, and the person I had to thank.  
"Can I come in?" He inquired.  
"Yeah." I put down the book. I'd remember where I was, I knew that book like I knew myself: a little too well.  
"How are you feeling?"  
"Not so good."  
"Can you talk to me?" Angel asked, concerned.  
"Can you talk? I just want to listen." I settled back into my bed, resting my head on the pillow, but still looking at him.  
"Okay. Where do you want me to start?"  
"Wherever."  
"All right. I lied." This was the last thing I expected to hear, and the thing I expected to hear the most at the same time.  
"'Bout what?"  
"About you. About me. I was wrong."  
"Thought so."  
"Look, I didn't mean to say what I did. It didn't come out how it should have," I didn't say anything. I just looked at him with my most expressionless face (I'm really good at those. They get people to do whatever the hell you want and scare them silly). He saw this, and continued. I could see that he was freaked. "Anyway, I'm sorry. Especially if it got you to-" Holy shit. He didn't think that's why I went on the roof, did he?  
"Angel. That's not why I went up there."  
"It's not?"  
"No."  
"What then? What prompted you to do this to yourself?"  
"I like the snow. It's frozen rain, and I think that's pretty cool. And I like rooftops, especially when it's raining. And our roof has a great view of the city... I just wanted to go up there. Be alone. Think. I'm not exactly a people person. I need alone time, and that's just when I chose to have some. So it got me sick, who gives?"  
"I do."  
"You shouldn't. You were wrong about being wrong." That came out funny, huh? "We can't be together. No matter how influential and seductive the mutual attraction between us is. We need to just fight together, and leave it at that. I was just being stupid and immature the other night, that's all. But the roof and the rain... I figure everything out when I'm alone outside and it's raining. Besides, I wasn't in the mood to see Kenny die again." All this was true. But then why did I still see nothing when I looked at Angel? It was driving me halfway past the brink of insanity.  
"Well, if that's what you think is best," he said, standing. "See you when you're back on your feet." He left then, without another word. I should have felt good about confirming Angel's doubts, but I didn't, and I had no idea why. I just felt worse. As I was sitting there, feeling worse, Dexter came in, suit and all, with some books in his hands. Old ones, probably having to do with demons and junk. His glasses were askew, and he saw me awake and brightened up.  
"Ari. Thank god you're all right!" Huh. Didn't expect that from Mr. I-am-superglued-to-my-copy-of-the-watchers-handbook.  
"Yo Dex." He hated it when I called him Dex, but he put up with it anyway. The things people do for you when you're sick.  
"How are you feeling?"  
"Like I was up on a cold, snowy rooftop for hours getting a fever, you?"  
"Very funny. Now, I asked Laura, and she says that the doctors will let you out of here around tomorrow afternoon, and when they do, you are to come straight to the shop-"  
"De-ex!" I whined. Training was the last thing on my to-do list.  
"You are to come straight to the shop and we will train." He repeated firmly.  
"Fine." I had pretended to give up, but there was no way I was going over to Dex's bookstore to train once I'd gotten outta the hellhole called a hospital.  
"Now, on the subject of reading, I have brought you some volumes-" He plopped them on the bed. They were huge, leather bound, very old, very dull looking, demon-y volumes. Great.  
"Look, Dex. I did the summer reading list, now piss off."  
"Ari, you will start with this one."  
"Why?"  
"Because I am your watcher and you will do as I say."  
"What if I don't wanna? I'm the one with super strength."  
"Yes, but I am not the one who is hospitalized now can you please read this watcher's diary?"  
"Ooh, a watcher diary? Does it have a lotta dirt and stuff?"  
"Yes, now read it by tomorrow and bring it by the book store." He left without a goodbye.  
"Nice to see you too, Dex!" I called after him. Being courteous to the sick my ass.  
  
~*~  
  
I was walking through a pretty big graveyard the night after I'd gotten out of the hospital. I was prepared with holy water, crosses, my stake, and a dagger. I was holding the stake in my left hand, (I'm ambi) and everything else was stowed in my jacket pockets where they were easily accessible. I was looking around for vamps everywhere. I was getting a little impatient. It was only midnight and I'd only gotten three. I was desperate for a fight. I heard a footstep behind me. I swiveled, stake at the ready, but I put my arm down and rolled my eyes. I kept moving. It was Angel, and I was not in the mood to talk to him again. Maybe I could kick his ass until there was another one to kick.  
"Ari."  
"What." I asked him, not turning. It came out more a statement than a question, really.  
"You need any help?"  
"Not unless you can point me in the right direction for where I might find some real vampires." Ooh. I burned him like he was on a stove.  
"Can I tag along?"  
"Not if you're going to get in my way."  
"I won't."  
"Fine." He walked next to me. I could feel him looking at me, prompting me to say something. I was not going to give him the satisfaction of saying I was wrong about him being wrong about being wrong. Guilt might get to him, but it wouldn't get to me.  
"Do you see any around?" I asked him.  
"No."  
"Great. It's midnight and I've only gotten three."  
"You got three? When did you come out here?"  
"Around ten-thirty."  
"You've gotten three in an hour and a half? That's not so-"  
"Shh." I heard something, and it wasn't just Angel trying to flatter me. It was more like a vampire crawling out of his grave. I walked towards the noise, stake held tightly, ready to strike. Sure as sugar's sweet, out of a grave came a vampire. He stood, and turned around just in time for me to sucker punch him in the nose. He staggered back, and I jumped onto his tombstone, and jumped off it with a flying kick that sent him straight into a tree thirty yards away. I threw my stake like Dex threw knives at me for training, like a perfect dart, which hit him with perfect precision in the heart. He was dust. I went over to the tree, and picked up my stake lying on the ground. I brushed off some of that vampire's dust, and walked back to Angel.  
"Nice job."  
"I gotta go. New school tomorrow, don't want to be falling asleep."  
I left then. I didn't want to be around him anymore. He was too damn annoying and too damn sweet, and I loved him too damn much.  
  
AN: Cheesy ending. Fuck off. 


	12. Chapter Twelve: Charlie

CHAPTER TWELVE: CHARLIE  
  
I went into my new school the next day, Rockford, and, as I suspected, the halls were filled to the brim with preps, jocks, Japs, Baps, and about nobody else. I looked like I'd gotten lost, for crying out loud. I bet I was the only person in that whole damn school that was wearing black cargo pants and a royal blue tank top that had a blood red skull on it. I seriously doubt anybody in this whole school even knew what Hot Topic was. I saw a whole bunch of fliers and posters for pep rallies and junk, which made me roll my eyes. Who in their right mind would go to one of those things? I went down to the principal's office, gave them my forms, and they gave me my schedule and stuff. My first class was Computer science. Now when in God's name did I sign up for that shit? Never. What the hell, how bad could it be? I asked myself. So, I go to this Computer Science room, right, and the teacher notices me right away. She was kind of young, late thirties, maybe, and she had dark hair and big eyes. The whole class had been sitting down, at their own computers and all, in the middle of class, but the teacher just stopped class. She was looking at me funny.  
"Are you Avarielle? I'm Jennifer Calendar."  
"Ari."  
"Right. Ari. We'll get you caught up with the rest of the class later, but why don't you tell us about yourself first?" This is just one of the many reasons why I hate new schools.  
"Fine." What should I say? 'Hey, what's up preps? I'm Ari. I kill vampires and demons, and my favorite bands are Sublime and Green Day. I play soccer and I am a foster child.' I didn't think so, so I decided to scare 'em up a little bit.  
"Okay. My name's Ari. I used to go to Lavine High, but my old foster family hated me more than cockroaches, so they turned me back over to social services who planted me in some penthouse down here which forced to be around you people. I play soccer, I board, and I also can hit pretty hard, so leave me alone." That was probably the greatest thing I'd ever said to a new class. It was all the more better because of the looks on their faces. They were like oh... my ...god. It was fantastic. The teacher, however was not taken aback. She looked... okay with it to a certain extent. That ruined my day.  
"Where should I sit?" I asked Calendar.  
"How about right next to Charlie Reingold, right there?" She pointed to some girl who looked like she didn't belong there either. She was in all black, and her shirt was black and pink mesh with saftey pins spelling out the word LIE. She wore a lot of makeup, and her straight blonde hair was streaked purple, as opposed to my natural auburn hair. I sat next to her, putting my bag down on the floor. She looked at me, with some admiration, but not smiling, which was cool, because I didn't smile much either.  
"Hey. Nice speech to the cretins of the earth." She complimented.  
"Thanks. Cool manicure." She had gotten a black one, with little white painted skulls on the nails, too. It really was awesome.  
"Glad you like it. Actually, Janie Levitson told me the same thing yesterday, only with much more sarcasm."  
"Lemme guess, Janie Levitson's a prep whose father works on either wall street or as a CEO for a multi-million dollar corporation and pays her a hundred bucks just for smiling."  
"Wall Street." She replied, a smile dancing in her dark green eyes.  
"Thought so." I kind of liked this Charlie girl by now. She was cool, kinda goth, but that was okay, who had probably the coolest manicure I'd ever seen, and she liked me, too. Who needs a vampire for a friend when you can have somebody who you actually can tolerate for a few hours?  
  
~*~  
  
At lunch hour, Charlie and I were sitting on the steps, drinking Cokes when a girl with long blonde hair dressed in a pink skirt and a white sweater came over to us, with her own little crew, all in perfect lil priss outfits. I already knew I didn't like them.  
"Charlie," The girl said in a high, clear voice that ticked me off, "Looks like you made a friend. Finally."  
"I'm sorry, but do you have a purpose for being here?" I asked the girl.  
"Yeah, I do. I just wanted to say that like, it's good that one outcast found another. Good for you both."  
"Ooh, Ari, she used a word that's over six letters long!" Charlie said to me in her utmost sarcastic voice.  
"Wow, that's just like, so totally amazing!" I exclaimed in my best cheerleader imitation.  
"Were you just making fun of me?" Whoever the hell she was asked me in shock.  
"Now, see, if you had an ounce of intelligence you'd know that for sure, wouldn't you?" I was really on fire.  
"Why don't you leave us alone now?" Charlie agreed.  
"Ugh. Fine. But you better watch your back or I'll-" I stood up. I was so much taller than her, and visibly stronger, too. I could snap her arm like a twig, even without super strength.  
"Or you'll what? Tell your daddy? Or the football team? Because I can take any of 'em on, no problem. I'm not intimidated by you. If you think you can go around saying mean things to people and not expecting them to say anything mean back then you're a helluva lot stupider than I thought." I burned her. Bad. Almost everyone on the steps was watching this. It must have been some kind of new revelation or whatever.  
"Bye now." Charlie said.  
"Fine. I hope you have fun hanging out with a stupid goth wicca!" She stormed off, her minions following. Wait, Charlie was a wicca? Maybe I could tell her then...  
"You're a wicca?"  
"I've tried out a few spells. Why?"  
"Well, my guardian has some spell books and stuff back at the apartment. It's pretty cool." Dex would kill me if I told anyone. Seriously, he'd take my head off.  
"You're into that kind of thing?"  
"Sure."  
"Do, um," She lowered her voice, "do you believe in vampires?" Oh my god. This was too good.  
"Have you ever seen one?"  
"One attacked me last year. Someone killed it, though. That's how I got into this stuff. I believe in demons." She was totally serious, and I totally believed her. Okay, I had to tell her now.  
"Um, Charlie? You wanna come over after school? I have some stuff you might be interested to hear."  
  
~*~  
  
"Wow. Are you serious?" Charlie asked me. I'd just told her everything. Well, not about me being in love with a vampire, but about slayers, demons, Laura, Dex, the council, all that. We were in the dining room, eating ice cream (who would have thought her favorite flavor was Half Baked by Ben + Jerry's too?)  
"You don't believe me, do you?"  
"No, I completely believe you. I just wanted to make sure." She wasn't being sarcastic. She was serious. "And you have super strength?"  
"Yeah."  
"Can you show me something? Something cool, and slayer-y. But not anything that'd hurt me or break something."  
"Sure." I stood up, went to an area of the room where stuff was out of the way, and I did a back flip, kicked the air, and pretended to stake. Charlie looked at me, in awe.  
"That's awesome! So you like, fight demons and stuff? And this Dex guy, he trains you?"  
"He's my watcher, yeah." As though on cue, the phone rang in the kitchen. "Just a minute." I went to get the phone.  
"Hello? Ari?" It was Dex.  
"Hey Dex. What do you want?"  
"Where are you? You were supposed to come by and train this afternoon."  
"I'm at home, hanging out with my new friend Charlie. Oh, and she's cool, and I told her everything. She believes me and she's gonna keep it a secret, so no need to flip out."  
"I don't give a damn about you and your new friend, just get over to the shop now!" He hung up. For a British dude, he sure can yell.  
I went back into the dining room.  
"I gotta train. Wanna come?"  
"You mean, train with your watcher and all?"  
"Unfortunately."  
"Sure."  
  
~*~  
  
"Good work, Ari. Now, tonight, you should patrol some of the alleyways downtown." I had just finished training with the crossbows and knives. Charlie had gotten a call from her mom on her cell and had to go home, so she'd left.  
"Which part of downtown?"  
"Oh, I don't know. Wherever you think the vampires will go. Now, I need to do some research if you could please go..."  
"On what?" I was pushing Dex's buttons a lot today.  
"It is none of your concern at the moment. Now out."  
"Whatever. See you tomorrow."  
"You had better come next time."  
"I will, chill out."  
  
~*~  
  
I decided to screw alleyway patrol and go home. I was hungry and I wasn't really in the mood after my three hour training session. So, I went up to Laura's penthouse. I got there at about eight, and Laura wasn't home yet, which meant that I was on my own food wise. I went into the kitchen and took a Dr. Pepper out of the fridge and heated up some leftover pizza. I ate and went to my room, where I did some homework. I was just about done with Algebra II/Trig when the phone rang. I picked it up.  
"Yeah?"  
"Ari? It's Laura."  
"Hi."  
"I'm stuck in a business meeting until really late tonight, so I might not be back until about eleven."  
"That's fine. I just ate and all. Trained, homework, and I'm not patrolling tonight, because I want to turn in early."  
"Sounds good, hun."  
"Oh, and Laura, I actually made a friend at my prep filled school. She's the one cool person in the whole damn place. And I told her about my slayer thing because she's wicca and she believes in demons and junk, so I told her and she's totally cool with it."  
"That's great! Maybe I can teach her a few tricks."  
"Sure. I bet Charlie'd love that. Bye Laura."  
"Bye sweets."  
I hung up, and went back and finished my last math problem. I put my books back into my backpack, and took off my reading glasses. Yes, I have reading glasses. Leave me alone.  
I looked at the clock on my desk. It was nine thirty. I went into my other room, opened up the window and went up the fire escape to my roof, where I hadn't been since the night I got sick. I missed it, and I'd only been up there once. There was just something about that roof. I can't explain it, it was just... special. When I was up there, I didn't want to leave. I felt something up there, something that was mine, and only mine. I would never bring Charlie up here. Or Dex, or Laura and especially not Angel, even though he had already been up here. Nobody. It was my roof, and I didn't want to share it. Laura told me she'd been up here a few times, but she didn't like heights, so she stopped. That was good, because I didn't want her up here. I sat down on the little wall, and swiveled slowly so that my feet were hanging off the edge of the building. It was dangerous, sure, but I could take the fall if I did. I closed my eyes, and felt the soft, smooth wind go through me, almost. It was so wonderful being up there, and I felt as though I'd never leave. I was so wrapped up in loving this moment that I didn't even hear Angel come up behind me.  
"Ari." I wasn't surprised. I knew that if anyone would ruin my moment, it'd be him.  
"Angel." I said without turning.  
"What are you doing?"  
"I'm on the roof."  
"Why? It's dangerous. What if you fell?"  
"I could take it. And no, this is not a suicide attempt. This is me sitting up here enjoying being here, alone. Until someone shows up and mess everything up for me like they always do." That was harsh. I've been very harsh today.  
"Ari, what is wrong with you? I mean, you keep on confusing me! First you get all up and in my face that I don't think that we should be together, and then when I apologize, you say that you don't think we should even see each other except to fight side by side, and then when I try to help you fight, you blow me off, and then you act like I'm the bad guy!"  
"It's called having problems, Angel. It's something I'd think you'd know something about."  
"See? There you go again. All you do is come up with some witty comeback and then tell me to get lost."  
"Get lost."  
"My point has been proven."  
"What exactly is your point? I mean, what do you want?"  
"I want us to go back to the way we used to be. Just friends."  
"And pretend like it never happened?"  
"Yes."  
"It won't work, you know that right? I mean, once something like that's happened, you can't just take it back. It doesn't work like that. We messed it up, and now we can never go back."  
"Pessimist."  
"Optimist." I didn't look at him. I only looked out at my city, on my roof, with someone who was driving me past the brink of insanity.  
"So what are you saying?"  
"I'm just saying that we changed things. It's true that things aren't just black and white, they can be gray too, but sometimes, they only can be black and white. And that kind of situation is what we have here."  
"So, if what you're saying is white is love, and black is just nothing, and gray is friendship, we can only have love or nothing?"  
"No," I replied. Now I swung my legs over the roof, stood right in front of him and looked in his big brown nothing eyes, and said, "Black is love. White is nothing." Then I started to go back down my fire escape, but he grabbed my arm. I tried to pull away, but his grip was too strong.  
"I thought black was your favorite color."  
"Black is the absence of color. That's why it's my favorite."  
"But then why is black love if it's the absence?"  
"That's exactly why it's love. Now let go of my arm."  
"Not until you tell me what you're thinking." Great.  
"I'm thinking that I'm annoyed with you."  
"I know you're annoyed with me. But why?"  
"I don't know now let go of me."  
"Not until you tell me why."  
"Because I just am."  
"There's more to it than that." He knew me too damn well.  
"No there's not." Lie. Lie. Lie.  
"You're lying." True.  
"Yes, I am. I'm a liar and a hypocrite and therefore you shouldn't associate with me and you should let go of my arm."  
"Come on, Ari. It's just me. I'm your friend you can tell me anything."  
"I don't need you as a friend anymore. I already have one of those."  
"Well then what do you need me for?"  
"I don't need you for anything. Leave me alone."  
"You're lying again."  
"Yes, I am. I'm lying again. Caught me. Now. Ow! Pressure point!" It was true, he had struck a nerve. And it hurt. He saw this, and he moved his hand up my arm.  
"If you won't talk to me-"  
"I won't."  
"Then I'll talk to you."  
"Don't. I'm sick of hearing your voice."  
"Ari, shut up and listen." I shut up and let him talk. "I love you. And all I really want to do is be around you, but you keep on... changing your mind, so it seems. And it's confusing, and hard to be around you. But I love it so much that I keep following you. I don't want you to hate me or be mad at me. All I want is for you to be happy." He was so sincere, and he just said that he loved me. All I could think of to say back was,  
"I'm sixteen."  
"I don't care." Then he let go of my arm. "That's all I wanted to say." I was free to go now. I could leave him there. But once again I didn't want to leave my roof, even if he was up there with me. I actually didn't mind it so much. Sharing it. I wasn't sure what to do next. So I did something impulsive. I hugged him. I just went up and held onto the guy. He put his arms around me, too, and we stood there like that, just holding each other on the roof. It was like a movie, and I felt horrible about that. But it wasn't, because it was real.  
"I don't care either." I told him.  
"Good." Then we both sort of pulled away and looked at each other.  
"So what now?" I asked. "What do we do?"  
  
AN: Review, dammit. Don't make me get out my flamethrower. 


	13. Chapter Thirteen: Wounded

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: WOUNDED  
  
I went for a walk that night. In Central Park. I went to this bridge, I forget its name, but it's been in movies and junk. In the spring there's all these ducks and stuff on the pond below it, but it was winter, so there were no ducks. I sat on the edge of the bridge there, my feet dangling over the edge above the water, and just enjoyed the moment. I was good for enjoying moments. I must have sat there for hours, because when I finally opened my eyes again, it was almost eleven, so I started home.  
I was walking down a back road to my building when I heard something behind me. I turned. It was a demon. A huge, slimy, blue gray demon with horns and grossness. I pulled out a knife from my backpack and ran towards it. I kicked it hard, and it went flying back into the wall of this building. It ran right back at me, and tried to slam my head with a punch, which I ducked. I did a low spin kick, which tripped it, and made it fall down. It stabbed my arm with its huge, black claws, and I yelled in agony. I regained my strength, and I stabbed it in the gut with the knife. The demon moaned in pain. Purple ooze (maybe it was it's blood) spilled out from the place where I'd gotten it, and was on my knife. Yucch. I stabbed it again to ensure its deadness. Gross. I pulled it into this back alleyway, where I hid it behind a dumpster. No way was I going to do any more dirty work than that. I wiped my knife with my new school's shirt that they'd insisted on giving me, and threw the shirt in the dumpster. I put my knife back in my bag, and went back on my way. Wouldn't Dex be glad to know that now I wasn't just after the demons, but they were after me.  
I went into the penthouse. The lights were on, and it was late, so I guessed Laura was home.  
"Laura? Hey Laura!"  
"I'm in the kitchen, honey." In the kitchen I went. She was sitting there, at the kitchen table, drinking some coffee. Yum.  
"Can I have some of that?"  
"I thought you hated straight coffee."  
"That's right, I do. Mind if I clear this out and make a latté?"  
"Not at all." I went over to the latté maker and started to get it together for my drink. "How was the slaying?"  
"I actually was forbidden to slay by Dex. So I hung out on the bridge in Central Park for a while-"  
"The one over the pond where the ducks are?"  
"Yeah. Anyway, I was coming home, and right out of the blue, this gross demon jumps out. So I fight it, I kill it, and I stained my new knife!"  
I pressed the button on the coffee maker to start it, and pulled out my knife and showed it to Laura. Sure enough, it was stained purple.  
"It's purple."  
"I know. I'm going to try and get it off later. But I guess it doesn't really matter, I mean, I'm just going to kill more demons with it, so pretty soon, it'll be like, multicolored or whatever."  
"Nasty."  
"Yup." I sat down in the chair next to her. "So how was your day Ms. Wall Street?"  
"Market's gone down."  
"Big surprise there."  
"Mmm." She took another sip of her coffee. She was oddly quiet. It seemed like she actually knew something that I didn't know.  
"Okay, Laura. What's going on?"  
"What do you mean?"  
"You're like, all tacit and Buddha and junk. What the hell do you know?"  
"It's nothing that you don't know."  
"Well what is it?" I was curious as to what was going on.  
"Angel." What? She never even met Angel, much less know what happened.  
"How did you-"  
"He came by looking for you earlier."  
"Oh. So you know about-"  
"His vampire-ness? Yes. And his soul? Yes again. And about you two, well, that he didn't tell me, but I could figure it out just by how he was talking about you."  
"Oh. Are you pissed?"  
"About you dating a vampire with a soul?"  
"Well, I wouldn't call it dating..."  
"Then what?" She was starting to sound a lot like him, actually. I hear if you're around someone for too long, you start to act and talk like them. Wonder if she and Angel had a long talk.  
"I don't know exactly. But are you? Mad at me?"  
"No. I'm amused. At the irony of your situation."  
"What do you mean?"  
"A vampire and a slayer in love. Pure irony." She was right. It was ironic.  
"And this vampire, where'd he go?"  
"Nowhere." Angel stepped out from the door to the living room. Jeez, he scared me.  
"So he's been here the whole time?" I asked Laura, who smiled in her own little way.  
"Can we talk, Ari?" Angel asked.  
"Sure, one sec." My latté was ready. I went and poured it into a mug, added some cinnamon, stirred it in, and went into the living room with him. We both sat on the couch, him on one end, me on the other. I put my right ankle up on the ottoman. It was hurting me again.  
"What's going on?" I asked him.  
"I need you to know something. You're in danger."  
"Aren't I always?"  
"I'm serious, Ari. There's a demon out there, set on finding you."  
"Big, blueish grayish, purple blood, horns, slimy?"  
"How'd you know?"  
"Attacked me," I showed him my arm. His eyes widened.  
"Did any of its blood get on you?"  
"Um, on my knife and stuff. I got it off, though. And yeah, I touched its blood. By accident. You know me and my little thing against blood... why?" The look on his face told me that I should not have touched its blood. He stood up, and started to pace a little, rubbing his hand on his neck. "Angel? Should I have not done that?" He didn't say anything. "Angel?"  
"Ari, you're going to get what some people call an aspect of the demon." Oh no. This was not good.  
"A what?"  
"Aspect of the demon, it's when a demon's blood mixes with your own, something happens to you, something usually-"  
"Not so good?"  
"Well, in short, yeah."  
"What do I do?"  
"I don't know yet. I was hoping you hadn't already killed it and I could take care of it, but..."  
"Hey, it attacked me. As far as I'm concerned I'm innocent."  
"Well, as far as you're concerned you're also in trouble."  
"Well what are we going to do about it?"  
"I need to go home and find a book... it deals with some of this. You just stay here, try to cleanse that wound. Get rid of your knife. I'll be back in a little while." I stood up, and tried to look at him. He looked away, however. He obviously did not want this to happen.  
"Hey. Look at me." He looked at me then, a pained expression on his face. "I'm going to be fine. Just go find this book and get the cure."  
"Fix that wound. I mean it, Ari."  
"Okay." He left.  
  
~*~  
  
I was in my bathroom, scrubbing at the wound. I found that inside my blood was this purple slimy substance, not unlike the demon's blood, and I couldn't get it out without serious pain. And I didn't even get it out! Gross. I put some more antibiotic on the washcloth, and held it on my cut. It stung, and I winced from the sting. There was a knock on the bathroom door.  
"Who is it?"  
"Angel."  
"Come in." He did, a book in his hands. He looked at the cut.  
"What are you putting on that?" I nodded towards the bottle. "It won't help much, just so you know."  
"Well, you told me to clean the wound, and seeing as I'm not a doctor I'm kinda using whatever I've got."  
"Here." He put the book down, and looked through the supplies on the cabinet. He found a bottle, took the cloth out of my hands, and poured the contents straight on my arm. It burned, and felt like acid.  
"Ow! What the hell was that, acid?"  
"It doesn't matter. It'll help."  
"It stings too."  
"Stick it out. Has your aspect kicked in yet?"  
"Not that I can tell. No horns or slime or anything, right?"  
"Well, from the demon that you fought, you won't get physical attributes."  
"That's a plus... but what will I get?" Angel picked up the book, looking at it.  
"Well, this type of demon gets visions. Of people and missions to kill. The visions are sent down from this sort of demon master, it seems. It's all very unclear..."  
"So I'm going to be sent visions from an evil demon master?" This sucked!  
"I'm not sure." He put the book down.  
"How do I get rid of it?"  
"Well-" The phone rang in my room then. Angel went in to get it. "Hello? One minute." He handed it to me. "Someone named Charlie."  
"Char?" I asked into the phone.  
"Ari, you'll never believe what just came in the mail."  
"You're probably right, I won't. Look, Char, I can't talk now, I'm busy."  
"Gimme five minutes."  
"Charlie, in five minutes I might be a new species, okay? I need to go. Bye." I hung up, and put the phone down on the bathroom counter. "So how do I get rid of this aspect thing?"  
"It requires a potion, it says. But it doesn't say anything more. I'm going to need to do additional research. For now you'll have to just-"  
"Sit tight and let myself get these vision things? Let this superior demon thing control me?" I was starting to hyperventilate.  
"It won't control you. Not if you don't let it."  
"Yes it will! I'm not going to be able to stop it-"  
"We're going to get this thing out of you, Ari. All right? It's not an apocalypse, it's an aspect. We'll find a way around it. Promise." He kissed my forehead and pulled me close into him. Loosely I put my arms around his waist, and rested my head on his shoulder, closing my eyes. He kissed the top of my head and whispered in my ear,  
"I'm not going to let anything happen to you."  
"I know." We pulled away, and looked at each other, but he held my shoulders with his hands.  
"Are you going to be okay tonight? I mean, I can stay if you need someone..."  
"I have Laura here, thanks though. Just get my cure."  
"I will. And call me if those visions start to kick in. I'll come right over."  
"Will do." I didn't want him to go, but I knew that he needed to find out more about my aspect thing, so I let him. I put a gauze on my cut, and then went to bed.  
  
~*~  
  
In the middle of the night, I awoke with a start. I didn't know why, but all of a sudden I found that I was wide awake and sitting up. I looked at the clock on my nightstand. Three twenty four. I rubbed my eyes, and sat up a little more, leaning against my pillows.  
I didn't get to sit there for one minute long even before I started getting a head splitting migraine. I saw something, in flashes almost, some girl in Central Park, it looked like, and then an axe slashed her in two, right down the middle, and it was over, leaving me with the headache of the century. This must have been a vision. I took off the gauze, and looked at my cut. It had closed up. The demon's blood was stuck inside me. I held my head, and went to my bathroom. I took some tylenol, and then remembered what Angel said about calling him once the visions started. I went over to my phone and dialed his number. The phone rang three times before he picked up.  
"Angel, it's me."  
"Ari? What happened? Are you okay?"  
"Yeah, I'm fine. Congratulate me, I just got my first vision."  
"I'll be right over there, give me ten minutes."  
I hung up, and sat there, waiting. Eleven minutes later, my fire escape window opened, and Angel stepped through it. He didn't even bother to close the window, he just went straight over to my bed, sat down next to me, and held me.  
"What happened?"  
"I just woke up all of a sudden, and got this vision. It was about this girl, about my age, in Central Park, I'm pretty sure. Then all of a sudden, I slashed her in half with an axe. Came with a pretty bad migraine, too." He pulled away and looked at me.  
"You don't look too good."  
"I feel so scared. I mean, is this what the superior demon is trying to get me to do, or is it what I'm going to do? Because either way, I don't like this at all."  
"I don't either."  
"So what did you find out? Any luck?"  
"Yeah, I had luck. Mostly bad."  
"Oh. So nothing?"  
"No, I found something."  
"My cure?" I asked hopefully.  
"No." Damn.  
"Then what?" He looked at me, serious. He obviously was not telling me something.  
"It's not important. It won't happen, I'll make sure of it."  
"How?"  
"I'm not leaving you alone tonight. You're not leaving my sight until we've cured you."  
"So no school tomorrow?"  
"Unless you want to go with these visions and might put someone in danger." What?  
"Put someone in danger?" I repeated. He looked away. "Does this mean that my vision has to come true?"  
"I'm not going to let it come true."  
"But, this isn't up to you, Angel. This is up to the superior whatever the heck he is and if he wants it to happen it will."  
"Ari. You're tired, you're sick, you're not thinking straight. The best thing for you to do is just sleep. Don't worry about anything. Let me do the worrying, okay?" What he said sounded so good. Not to worry. Angel'll take care of it all. Just sleep...  
"All right, I'll sleep. Can you stay?"  
"That's my plan."  
"No, I mean, with me. Here."  
"Sure." He settled back onto the bed, and I settled into his arms, which wrapped around me. I lay my head down on his chest, shutting my eyes, feeling his heart not beat, letting it all go.  
  
AN: shut up. wait, no, dont. review. then shut up. 


	14. Chapter Fourteen: Aspected

AN: Kay, this ones shorter. But deal with it. Once I get thru al the "normal" slayer shit, its gonna get good.  
  
CHAPTER FOURTEEN: ASPECTED  
  
The next morning, I woke up, with Angel's arm still wrapped around me, just as we were last night. He was awake, and in the other hand he held an old book. One from my bookshelf. On the nightstand were a bunch of others, probably already read. He was concentrating so hard on the book, he didn't notice that I was awake. I shifted in his arms, and asked him,  
"What are you reading?" He looked at me.  
"I'm trying to see if any of these books have something on the Sarathan Demon."  
"Is that the big ugly thing that I'm getting my little present from?"  
"Yeah."  
"Find anything?"  
"Well, this book has a spell to get rid of an aspect of the demon, but it looks really complicated...some of these ingredients are really rare. I don't know if you can get them in New York."  
"You obviously aren't a native New Yorker. You can get everything in New York. You just have to know where to look."  
"I'm not so sure that that rule applies to magic," he closed the book, put it on the nightstand, and held my head in his hand. "But I'll find everything the spell needs for you." I smiled weakly, and hugged him. While I held him, my head started to hurt again. I think I said "ow" but I'm not quite sure, because what I saw next hurt me physically, not just grossing me out.  
I saw someone tied to a tree, and getting their innards cut out of them, while they were still alive, screaming, until their throat was slit by the long knife the person whose perspective I looked through was holding. Was it me? What was going on? I felt dizzy, and it seemed as though I fell out of the vision. Next thing I knew, Angel was looking at me, anxious, holding my shoulders, keeping me from shaking too much. I was breathing harder than I do after I run five miles on weekends.  
"Ari, what happened? What did you see?"  
"I don't want to talk about it..." I really didn't. I was feeling sick to my stomach, I was shaking and the dizziness hadn't gone away. If anything, it got worse. The whole room started to spin, and my head was pounding.  
"Are you okay?"  
"My head hurts. Everything's going around and around and around... and I feel sick to my stomach."  
"Okay. Stay here. I'll get Laura." He started to get up. I weakly reached for his arm.  
"No..." He brushed my hand aside and went out of the room.  
  
~*~  
  
I had four more visions that night. All were accompanied by dizziness, non-sensicality, queasiness and a headache that felt as though my head were being ripped open with a chain saw and being picked through. Like the military inspects your car when you try to get into an army base or whatever. In other words, it hurt a lot. Angel and Laura stayed with me the whole night. Laura would give me medicine, taking my temperature every so often, while Angel would look through Laura's book collection and give me the occasional kiss on the head and tell me that I was being brave. I slept a lot of the time, before and after visions, usually. Each vision was of the severe mauling of a human being, and each new one was worse than the last.  
What was so scary about them was that I felt as though those things were being done to myself. I could feel the pain of the person who was having it done to them. I still didn't understand what I was supposed to do about it all. Laura called Dex, after the third vision, and then Angel talked to him. He told him what we needed, or that's what I think he was talking to him about. I fell asleep a little after. When I woke up, I awoke to a head splitting migraine and another vision that I don't think I have the words or the stomach to try and describe. After the vision, Laura took my temperature, Angel held my hand, and I saw that Dex was there too. He had all these bottles of stuff, probably ingredients for the spell, all lined up on my dresser. He was mixing some of them, looking at labels, and didn't even bother to come over to me. He was too busy making whatever was supposed to help me. If it would work, that is. Laura told me I didn't have to go to school the next day, recovery or not. Dex announced that he only needed one more ingredient for the spell to be complete then: fresh human blood. We were all taken aback by this, even Dex. All of us, that is, except Angel. He didn't look appalled by this at all. I held out my arm to Dex.  
"You can use mine." I told him. I don't know why. I couldn't stand shots or blood drawings.  
"No, the book clearly states that it must be someone unaffected by demon impurities, and not anyone of blood relation to the subject."  
"Well, I'm stumped then."  
"How about me?" Laura said.  
"No." Angel said suddenly. He had moved away to the window then, once Dex announced the news.  
"What?" I asked him.  
"I'll get it." Dex didn't like this idea.  
"No you will not! You are not going to harm an innocent human being to heal Ari. No matter how important it is. We can draw blood from Laura-"  
"No. I can find someone who just died, and draw blood from their body."  
"There's not enough time." Dex told him firmly. He took out a needle, and Laura gave him her arm. He put antiseptic on her arm, and then drew the blood. I didn't watch. I couldn't stand needles. Dex turned his back, and went back over to where he was mixing the ingredients.  
"Don't spill any on the furniture," Laura told him. Or, I think she did. Everything was slowly fading away again. Back to darkness, to dreamland...  
"Ari, stay awake." Angel shook my shoulder. I jerked outta my half-asleep state. Dex finished mixing the potion, in a beaker that Laura kept for potions especially, and took out the glass stirring rod. He handed Angel the beaker, who tipped my head back.  
"Ready?"  
"Ugh..." I started to get another headache again. He opened my mouth, pressed the beaker's rim to my lips, and poured some of the liquid down my throat. It tasted horrible. Like salt water, blood, puke, and sulfur. I choked, sitting up. The headache drained away. Angel kissed the top of my head.  
"Lie down," he instructed me. I did, settling back into bed.  
"Will this work?" Asked Laura.  
"If I made the potion correctly, it should. Ari will be fine."  
"What if it didn't?" Laura was worried about me, I guess.  
"We'll worry about that if it comes to pass," Dex always said junk like that.  
"We should let her rest. Clear out of here." Angel said. I heard them all leave, and I fell asleep minutes later.  
  
AN: See? wasnt that short and bad? why dont you post a review telling me what you think. NOW. 


	15. Chapter Fifteen: Same Old Chords

CHAPTER FIFTEEN: SAME OLD CHORDS  
  
The next day I went back to my normal routine. I made some joke to Char in Computer Science about my slayer statistics: died once, demonic once. She did her little thing that she does when she should laugh but she doesn't. It's this sort of half smile, which is pretty much all you can get out of Char unless you're Wayne Brady or Homer Simpson.  
I went to the store after school alone, because Char had an orthodontist appointment or whatever, even though both her braces and retainer are out. It's a stupid orthodontist trick to get more cash. Her mom makes her do it anyway. Also, since they're loaded it doesn't much matter.  
I walked in the front door, to find the store pretty full of people. There was a long line, where Dex was ringing everyone up, and all these people were in there. It was like, a zoo almost. Man, Dex really had his hands full. Should I help him? Nah, he's got it covered.  
I went into the back room, put down my skateboard and backpack, and pulled off my jacket. I pulled my hair up into a ponytail, and started with the punching bag. After a little while I grew tired of it, and there was still no sign of Dex. Then I saw the weapons trunk. I went over to it, and opened it up. I looked at all those awesome weapons, and took some small knives out. I threw them at the target, and hit it in the center area consistently. Then I started to do my homework. Two hours later, I'd finished it all except an English paper, which I had to write on a computer at home. I put my stuff in my bag, and left it by the door. What I did, every day, was leave my backpack with all my school stuff, in the store, as well as my board, and then in the morning, on my way to Rockford, I'd grab my stuff as Dex was opening up the store. If there was homework I had todo at home, I'd just bring it with me to the store each morning. That was what I planned to do with the English paper. I looked out the only window. The sun was starting to set. Might as well eat.  
I went to the fridge and took out a Sprite. There really wasn't much in there. I went to the front room, where Dex was still dealing with customers.  
"Yo Dex!" I shouted. "Can I order a pizza?"  
"Don't expect me to pay for it!" He called back. "Oh, that one isn't for sale, sorry." He told a customer. We really needed to put up a sign about the yellow dot thing. I went into the back room, and ordered a pizza. It came half an hour later, and I polished off all but two slices, which I stuck in the fridge for tomorrow. Then I took out a stake and a knife from the weapons trunk and went back into the front room.  
"So, where to tonight?" I asked him. He was dealing with the last cutomer of the day.  
"Just one moment, Ari." He gave the customer her bag, told her to have a nice day, and then switched the sign in the front window from 'Open' to 'closed'. He took off his glasses and sat down at the back table. I sat on the back table. He motioned for me to get off the table. I did.  
"So?" I asked.  
"Thank you so much for helping me deal with the customers, Ari."  
"Hey, it didn't say I had to in the job description."  
"Ari, just... patrol in the graveyard. See if there's any vampire activity."  
"Sure thing. See you tomorrow. Get some rest, man. You look worked." Heh heh heh.  
  
~*~  
  
I was sitting on a tombstone, waiting for something to show up. I'd been at the fucking graveyard for two hours and nothing had come. Usually vamps jump at the chance for a fight. Where the hell were they? I heard something behind me.  
"Hi Angel." I said. It was so him. He's not one for making his presence known.  
"Feeling better?" He asked.  
"Much. No more migraines."  
"Not much activity tonight?" He inquired.  
"None. Where the hell did they all go?"  
"I don't know."  
"I guess I'll just call it a night. I have an English paper, anyway."  
"I thought you did your homework at the store."  
"I do. Except for stuff I need to do on the computer. That I do at home. Luckily this one isn't supposed to be over two pages long, double spaced, so it shouldn't be too brutal. Then maybe I'll get to get in a few more hours of sleep." I hopped off the tombstone.  
"You got a lot of sleep the past few nights."  
"Well, sleep's kinda like a drug. When you have a lot of it, you tend to want more, because you develop a tolerance." He didn't say anything. "But I do kinda need a fight. I haven't slayed in like, two days."  
"Then do you want to stay out a few more hours?"  
"What the hell. Why not."  
Two hours later, walking around the entire perimiter of the graveyard, still nothing.  
"Still nothing. I'm going home." I announced.  
"See you tomorrow?"  
"Sure."  
"All right. Be careful getting home." He kissed me lightly, and then we went our separate ways.  
  
~*~  
  
The next couple of nights were pretty dull; not much demonic activity was going on. I staked a vamp here and there, but nothing big. On Saturday, Charlie decided for me that I should stop wasting my time with the slayage, since obviously nothing was coming, and go out with her to this club. I didn't really feel up for it, because of my traumatic headache-a-thon recently, I was in no mood to be near a lotta big speakers and loud rock. She convinced me, however, when she told me that this really awesome local band would be playing, and that she knew them, so we could get in for free. So, Saturday afternoon, I went in for a training session with Dex.  
"Hey." I greeted when I walked in. The store was more or less empty.  
"Hello Ari. Ready to train?" He asked me, coming out from behind the counter.  
"For what? Another no-demons night?"  
"What?"  
"I've been noticing that the recent demonic activity is... well... there isn't any."  
"No vampires, demons, at all on your patrols?"  
"Two vampires in one night, but after, zilch."  
"That is curious indeed. Perhaps you aren't looking in the right places."  
"I'm the Slayer! Why don't they just... come to me?"  
"Usually they do. This is very odd."  
"No shit."  
"Language."  
"Whatever. Anyway, tonight I'm going out with Charlie. Until you can find me some demons to fight, I'm not going back out for a while."  
"Ari, you may take tonight and tomorrow night off. You will go back to your ordinary schedule on Monday, demons or no demons, is that clear?"  
"Yeah, whatever."  
"Ari." He gave me his serious-Brit-look.  
"Okay, you got me Monday."  
"Grammar."  
"You're pushing the envelope, buddy."  
"Why don't you take the whole weekend off, Ari. Unless something urgent comes up, of course."  
"Yeah, sure. Sounds good."  
"See you on Monday."  
"Sure thing."  
  
~*~  
  
That night Charlie and I went to the club. It was called Club 9, and the band that was playing was called Anaconda Revolt. The scene was pretty cool; loud, as all clubs are, with a bar, lots of boozing and smoking. It was okay, though, I didn't really care. The band was already playing away when we got there, and Charlie was right: they were good. The lead singer nodded towards her when he saw us at our table, and Charlie waved back.  
"So, how do you know these guys?" I asked Charlie.  
"Uh, well, my cousin used to go out with the lead singer's brother."  
"Huh." The band finished their song, and they took a break. The singer and bassist all came over to our table. The singer was good looking, kinda short, maybe a year older than us, and he had blonde, spiked hair, a couple of earrings and a tattoo or two on his arm. The bassist was tall, strong looking, with messy brown hair. He was really cute, with one small silver skull stud in his left ear, a Thrice shirt and a cool tattoo on his left hand that looked like blood was spilling down it from cuts on his knuckles.  
"Char!" The singer said, opening his arms wide. They hugged, as Charlie said,  
"Hey Max." They let go, and then she greeted the others. "Hey Trey, hey Drew."  
"Who's your friend, Char?" The bassist asked, and winked at me. I couldn't help but smile at him.  
"I'm Ari." I introduced myself.  
"Ari. I like that." The singer said, putting his arm around me. "You are now welcome with us."  
"Wow. Way to welcome me."  
"I'm Max," said the singer. "And this is our bassist, Trey."  
"Hey." I said.  
"So, what made you become friends with this bitch?" Max asked, pulling up a chair and sitting down.  
"Well, now I know why you're the singer. You talk too much to just shut up and play an instrument." I said coolly. Trey smiled. "Nice." "Thank you."  
"Ari goes to Rockford with me." Charlie said.  
"Oh, the JAP-jock school. Please tell me it was not by choice," Trey said.  
"Nope. Social service crap."  
"Social services? You a foster child or something?" Drew asked.  
"Yeah."  
"How long?" Asked Max.  
"Fifteen sixteenths of my life."  
"That sucks." Trey said.  
"Yeah. I've been stuck in all these crappy, model families, and these eccentric ones too. The one I'm in now is by far the coolest."  
"Laura's awesome," Charlie agreed. "She's a wicca." She said cheerfully.  
"Coolness. You, too Ari?" Trey asked.  
"Uh, no. I... do other stuff."  
"Like what?" Asked Max. FUCK! What should I say??  
"Fight demons." I said. Why did I say that?  
"Really? Cool." Trey commented.  
"You believe in demons?" I asked.  
"They do, actually. That's why I really wanted you to meet these two." Char said with a grin. "I feel special." Max replied. "So, what are you then?"  
"I'm the Slayer." I said softly, lowering my voice.  
  
"I heard of that. Into each generation a slayer is born, right?" Trey said.  
"How do you know about that?" I asked him.  
"Trey's mom was a watcher. From like, England or something." Max said.  
"Huh. Hey, maybe she knows mine," I said.  
"I'll hafta ask her. Name?" Trey asked.  
"Dexter."  
"I'll ask." Trey smiled at me.  
"So, does our lil Char help fight the big bad vampires?" Drew asked, ruffling Charlie's hair.  
"Quit it..." She mumbled, elbowing him in the ribs.  
"Eh, no. She hangs with me when I train and all, but I go out alone."  
"What 'bout tonight?" Max asked.  
"I have a few nights off."  
"Cool. We have a gig here Friday, too. Wanna come?" Drew asked.  
"Unless something demony comes up." I said.  
"Excellent. Aw, shit. C'mon man," Max said. He and Trey stood up. "I'll introduce you to the rest of the band later, Ari."  
"Sounds good." I said. It did. Now I had a bunch of... well, friends, I guess, who knew about demons, and thought it was cool for me to fight them. The kinds of people you can meet in New York. Wow.  
"Aren't they cool?" Charlie asked, as the guys went up on stage.  
"Yeah. Very friendly. They seem to get along with you, too."  
"Yeah. They all go to Burbanque, in the Bronx? Trey, Greg, he's the lead guitarrist, and Max all are juniors. Max might wind up staying back a grade, though. He's flunking three subjects. And then Drew's a senior, and he's going to Stanford next year, so they're gonna get a new drummer, and then the backup guitarrist, Garret, he's a sophomore."  
"Cool."  
"Yeah, aren't they good?" Char commented.  
"Mmm hmm." They were, too. I started to get thirsty. "Hey, I'm gonna get something to drink, ya want anything?"  
"Um, no thanks. I'll keep the table." Char said, not moving her eyes from the stage. I got up, and took up my purse, too.  
I moved through the crowd to the bar. It was a little more smokier there than over where we had been sitting. I got the bartender's attention after a minute or so.  
"A coke." I told the bartender.  
"Spiked?" They asked with a wink. Why not?  
"What the hell. Sure." If they were willing to give me alcohol, who was I to protest? They'd be the ones who'd go to jail. They slid the coke down the bar to me, and I picked it up. I drank some. It just tasted like normal coke, only with a little bit of a rum in it. It was interesting. I wouldn't get any more alcohol after this, though. I didn't want to come home drunk and get Laura pissed off. I made my way back to the table, and sat down.  
"What'd you get?" Char asked.  
"Uh, some rum-spiked coke. I think it's rum anyway."  
"Cool. Gimme a sip." She took it from me and drank some.  
"Sure. Go ahead. Drink my drink. You're welcome."  
"Thanks."  
"Oh, Laura said she had some spells you can try out."  
"I'm coming over tomorrow then. When's your curfew?"  
"Don't have one when you're the Slayer. I can lie and say there were demons or whatever. But I guess I'll go when you do. When's yours?"  
"One thirty."  
"That's very cool of your parents."  
"Totally. Only the band's only playing for another hour, and I don't want to stay much longer."  
"Maybe we can all go out and see a movie, or get some coffee or whatever," I suggested.  
"Brill. Oh my god, Ari. Guess what I got on my midterm?" We had just gotten out of school on Friday.  
"What class?"  
"Computer science."  
"I didn't even study for that,"  
"Oh, well, neither did I, but I got an eighty nine."  
"Nice." We slapped hands, and then just listened to the band play for the rest of the time. Sometimes silence is nice. The band finished, and went backstage. Drew motioned for us to go with, and we did. The band was putting their instruments in their cases, except Drew, who put his drumsticks in his backpack. He waved for me to go over there.  
"Hey Ari. Like the gig?"  
"Yeah. You guys were killer."  
"Thanks." He looked at his watch. "Guys, it's only ten." He announced.  
"So? We'll go somewhere. Grab some food." Trey called back.  
"You guys up for it?" Max asked Charlie.  
"Sure. Ari?" She said, turning to me.  
"Yeah, whatever."  
"Cool. Oh, Ari. Lemme introduce you to the other guys. Greg, Drew, Garret, this is Ari. She goes to Rockford, unfortunately."  
"Nice to meet you," said Greg, a tall, strong looking guy with spiked brown hair that was tipped blonde. He had a really nice smile, and looked cool.  
"So, Ari, right?" The other guy approached me. He must've been Garret. He put his arm around my shoulders, and asked me, "You seeing anybody?" I smiled at him, and he smiled cockily back, and I grabbed his hand, whipped his arm off me fast as a bullet, and held it behind his back in a very uncomfortable position. Now he wasn't smiling. Everybody else laughed.  
"Yeah, actually I am. And he could probably kick your ass better than I can, which is a lot, if you hit on me again, got it?"  
"Yeah, lemme go!" I let his arm go, and he looked at me. "Crazy bitch."  
"Capitalist trash." I replied.  
"Garret? You okay? Sorry bout that, Ari's a little out of the ordinary." Trey told his friend, who obviously didn't know what I was.  
"That's a warning to all of you, you know." I said, letting his arm go. Greg and Trey smiled at each other, while Garret rubbed his shoulder.  
"You okay there, Gare?" Trey asked.  
"F-fine." He replied, and the two burst into laughter. They clasped hands, and I started to realize how much they looked alike.  
"Greg's my cousin." Trey told me when he saw my look.  
"Cool." I said. That explained the resemblance in their appearances.  
"Not cool!" Greg said. "Means I gotta hang with this loser 24/7." He punched Trey's shoulder and they laughed.  
Charlie was talking to Max, Drew was checking out Garret's shoulder, and Trey and Greg were cracking up. I was kind of rolling my eyes at how immature the two could be. Immature, but still both very gorgeous. Not that I was looking elsewhere, I was very very into Angel. Just that I notice that stuff about friends of mine, even if I'm taken. It makes me a bad person, most likely, but as long as I don't act on thought, I should be fine.  
"Let's get goin'." Max said, throwing his arms around me and Charlie's shoulders.  
  
AN: Review you poo. I have a really cool Angel chapter coming up. I just wanted to introduce Max and Trey bc they're gonna get pretty important. So leave a review. --emily 


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